MAJOR math error now corrected!
I'm wondering if the difference between renting points (member or not) vs. being a member; the contract acquisition costs/yearly Maintainance fees per point might be confusing here for you?
To follow on beattyfamily's scenario;
265 points purchased at OKW on resale market ( assuming $ 70 per point and closing costs of $500) would cost you to "buy" into
DVC $ 19,050.00.
The contract renews your 265 points every year until 2042 (37 years to come).
Each year DVC assessess 'dues' on a per point basis with varing costs by resort, at OKW I think the rate is $ 3.68 per point x 265 = $ 975.20
If used in the
20 night scenario, dues divided by annual fees = $ 25.74 per night, no tax.
If you follow the same logic appling the inital purchase price of $ 19050 over
12 days x 37 years = 740 days in the contract life, divided into purchase cost = $25.74 per night over 37 years.
Current fees per night 25.74 + 42.91 per night for purchase =
$ 68.65 per night's stay.
**As to point useage okw/any other dvc resort - they all vary somewhat, especially by size of room and time of year you wish to stay - even if you had to buy an extra 50 points to allow you to stay somewhere other than okw the overall costs on the extra points (at okw) would still only run you the $ 68.65.
Of course, there's a boat load of other things - DVC is inflation proof (or at least resistent) so that over the 37 years while "value" rates go up per night, your purchase price is set. DVC cannot assign more point usage 'cost' to members than whats declared (they can only slightly adjust to high point usage/cost due to the calendar & holiday schedule.
The biggest thing is this. Don't buy anything, anywhere, anytime if you don't like it! no matter what it is. If you like somewhere else - pop-as etc, you should simply do that - even if in 20 years when the values "deals" are $150 per night that shouldn't matter, as you'd be paying for and getting what makes you the happiest! It is vacation remember!?
HTH