driving myself crazy with research!

[MyGoofy26]

But it's the fun kind of crazy. I keep trying to weigh the pros and cons of various situations trying to decide what's best for me. I've decided with almost absolute certainty that I will be buying into the DVC within the year, barring any major financial catastrophes, LOL. Is it normal to get a job interview and the FIRST thing you think of is, "YES! More money so I can buy into DVC sooner!" (I'm a graduating college student, just started applying a couple weeks ago and already have my first interview lined up)

I got a lot of useful info from a previous post I made asking about Disney's financing. Got some very useful info in PMs. Plus all the very useful info available all over this board. But I've come up with more options than my brain can handle! LOL! When I started, I thought the options were buy resale, or buy direct from DVC. Boy was I wrong!

SO these are the things swimming in my head right now

1. Buy a resale of a small contract (between 50 to 100 points) with what I was planning on using as a downpayment on a full contract so I don't have to pay interest. Then, save up more money and add on, and save money and add on. . .until I get all the points I want. Right now I don't *need* a lot of points. I'm just me, LOL. No hubby, no kids. So any trips would be with mom, aunt, or friends. No need for 2+ room vacation homes right now - a 1 BR would be a splurge and MORE than enough room for the time being.

2. Go ahead and finance the full contract (my plan is to have at least $5000 to put down so I can have smaller payments or shorter length of financing) but make extra payments to pay off super early and avoid *most* interest. The debate here is whether the cost of interest is worth not having to hassle with multiple contracts.

3. Which resort? I've never stayed in ANY of the DVC resorts. Other than passing through the lobby of the Boardwalk to get to the boardwalk of the Boardwalk, LOL, and passing through the Beach Club to use the pool on a quiet day in the offseason (I was a CM at the time, pool hopping was and might still be allowed for CMs if not at capacity) and eating dinner at Wilderness Lodge - I have no experience with those resorts. I don't know what the rooms are like other than pics I've seen online. So I'm debating based on pictures of resorts - do I buy SSR for the extra 12 years? Or will I be happier at another resort? I honestly have no preference right now as I have such minimal firsthand experience. . . . One option I'm considering is to take a trip for 4 or 5 nights maybe come September renting points for a couple of resorts that I think I may be interested in owning at - that way I can "experience" before I buy. So I could concievably stay in 2 resorts plus tour SSR and feel more comfortable with my decision. . . but then again that's more money that could have gone towards a downpayment.

Am I overanalyzing?

 

[Dis13]

I've been doing the exact same thing! I have so many spreadsheets and little notes. Everytime I find a little tidbit, I add it to the spreadsheets.

Unfortunately, I have a DH that I have to convince. He needs to actually "touch and feel" so we're going down in May for 2 nites to check out all of the resorts.

Good luck with your research!

 

[MyGoofy26]

Luckily I have no one else to convince, LOL. Makes at least THAT part easier. I'm already sold on DVC. It's just a matter of figuring out the logistics.

Good luck on your trip in May! I think I'll probably end up doing the same, just going ahead and spending the money to go down and look at all the resorts. I can catch a Ding fare for around $30 fairly often, so I may jump on one and go down for a few days and do more research, LOL. So it's money that *could* go towards the downpayment. . . I think I might be more comfortable spending it on a short trip to be absolutely certain I'm buying into the resort that is *most* right for me. I don't want to spend thousands of dollars to end up trading my points out or other resorts.

I know the sold out resorts don't have the model rooms open any longer. . . but I wonder if you caught a CM at the front desk or a nice shift supervisor at a time it wasn't too busy if they'd let you check out an empty room for a few minutes?

 

[TandCmum]

I'm the same. I have been doing loads of research, although a lot of mine is in vain really as DH will actually want to do the tour before we commit and since we aren't visiting again until sept 2007 a lot may have changed by then and not just the price. DH agrees its a good investment for our future holidays but we still have to save our downpayment which I know will have to be 30% due to previous credit problems, but never mind we will get there in the end

 

[MyGoofy26]

I'm the same. I have been doing loads of research, although a lot of mine is in vain really as DH will actually want to do the tour before we commit and since we aren't visiting again until sept 2007 a lot may have changed by then and not just the price. DH agrees its a good investment for our future holidays but we still have to save our downpayment which I know will have to be 30% due to previous credit problems, but never mind we will get there in the end

I don't know how credit reporting works over there, but there is a WONDERFUL forum at www.creditboards.com where you can learn how to fix your past credit problems (getting things erased, updated to be more positive, etc) I have a couple bad accounts from years ago getting ready to fall off of my credit reports this year, but I didn't have credit in so long (maxed out, panicked, and cancelled credit cards and didn't want to touch them for years so I have paid derogotory accounts sitting there looking ugly, LOL) that my file is thin and I have a limited history that is holding my score down. I've been following the advice over there to add tradelines to start pulling my score back up. I've already jumped up like 30-40 points since mid-January.

If you're not going to buy til after September '07, you may be able to find a similar site geared towards laws over there to help clean up your report to qualify you for better interest rates. I've seen people on credit boards completely clear out their credit reports of all bad information in less than a year. With our laws, it's completely doable and might be with your laws if they're at all similar.

 

[Dis13]

If you can wait, I'll give you a full report when I get back. We're staying one night at BCV and one night at BWV. We plan to take the tour at SSR, and if we have time, a quick run through Old Key West. We're been to VWL for dinner, and it's a beautiful resort, but being from the northeast, the log cabin decor doesn't appeal to me. I thought there might be a model room at BWV?

Unfortunately, what appeals to me and my family (we have 3 kids), may not necessarily appeal to you (I don't mean that in a bad way!). I am trying to look ahead to when I'll be traveling without the kids, and I do intend to plan some "girls only" weekends, of course!

As for the financing, I'd rather not finance alot either, the less bills, the better! So, I've readjusted those spreadsheets once again and am considering a smaller initial contract, with add-ons later. It's hard watching those 100-or- so point contracts go by....

I'm trying to be patient. But, it's not easy! I NEEEEEEED to buy DVC!

 

[MyGoofy26]

As for the financing, I'd rather not finance alot either, the less bills, the better! So, I've readjusted those spreadsheets once again and am considering a smaller initial contract, with add-ons later. It's hard watching those 100-or- so point contracts go by....

I'm trying to be patient. But, it's not easy! I NEEEEEEED to buy DVC!

Can't wait to hear your trip report!

I keep playing with the calculator at Bankrate.com to see how quickly I can pay off using extra payments and paying more than minimum IF I have to finance. But I SO know what you mean about watching those 100-pointers go by. I keep watching lisings and see the ones for 50-100 points and realizing, "hey! I could pay in full!" and then looking up point totals for rooms and see how many nights I can squeeze out of it, LOL! I have a feeling I'll be paying in full for a small contract sometime this summer. Don't want to jump on anything yet until I can "upgrade" my job, LOL. I want to make sure that I have a job lined up after graduation before I bite.

 

[Dis13]

Yes. Unfortunately, you MUST put your day-to-day life BEFORE Disney and DVC! (At least that's what my DH keeps telling me)

 

[abner1776]

I think you are overanalyzing the situation...especially if your future travel plans for DVC do not include school vacation and Xmas weeks. If you are flexible in your travel plans the home resort is not that important. I have tried to slice and dice this decision for months and everytime I come out with a different result. The conclusion that I have come to is that whatever decision I make today will be different than what I need 5 years from now.
Now..that said... my decision on our home resort had nothing to do with money, travel plans, vacation weeks, pools, walking distances, point usage, maint fees, etc....or any of those tangible things that people will argue about for hours on end...it simply came down to which resort I felt more "connected" to. For me that was ______ ...you have to decide which resort you feel "connected to".

 

[tomandrobin]

I thought there might be a model room at BWV?

Yes, there is still a model at BWV! Was there two weeks ago.