Family from CA with questions...

[jxgriffi]

Hello everyone...long time lurker, first time poster...

Anyway, I finally activated an account because you all have been so helpful by just reading these boards. I wanted to introduce myself and ask a few questions....

We have a family of four and are definitely considering DVC. Because we are in CA, we cannot contact DVC unless we are at WDW. I stayed at OKW when if first opened and have been waiting all these years to finally pull the trigger. I have a couple of questions....

Since we are CMs in CA, would it be in our better interest to wait until we actually travel to WDW to buy into DVC and go with SSR for the CM discount (if there is one...I know there used to be years ago but not sure now) or should I go with the resort I think I really want (OKW) and buy through a resale? We don't need Disney financing.

We really want to book our trip for 6 people into a 2br and just need to figure out how and when to actually do it.

Thanks everyone....your advice on everything is outstanding!

Jon

 

[Chuck S]

Jon, There are a lot of things to consider.

Remember that OKW contracts all expire in 2042, SSR contracts expire in 2054...will those additional years be of value to you?

I would venture to guess that even with a CM discount (if one is still available) that an OKW resale would probably save you a little money, and of course, OKW has the most spacious rooms of the DVC on-site resorts.

You can purchase a resale without having to leave CA, but to purchase SSR direct you would have to be at WDW.

I agree, assuming they still offer a CM discount, that the potential savings of a resale are not as attractive to you as they would be to the general public. I think I would base this particular decision on the 2042 vs 2054 issue. If you would be happy with SSR as a home resort, and if you believe you or your children will be able to enjoy DVC until 2054, I'd probably lean towards SSR. Of course, even if your purchase SSR, you are certainly welcome to use your points to stay at OKW, because of the size of OKW there are few problems booking OKW at the 7 month window (GVs being the major exception).

And WELCOME to the DIS

 

[Laurabearz]

Welcome to the DIS!!!

I am not sure if there is still a CM discount.... when you find out if and what % it is... run the numbers... THEN ask yourself which resort you really want to buy into.

You should be able to find out if you get a discount, since that is a benifit, and I dont think they can deny you knowlege of your benifts.... but then again what do I know... some state's timeshare rules are beyond me.

OKW resales are cheap right now, and chances are you could find a sweet resale. I would call all the brokers and tell them what kind of contract you are looking for... the super juicy ones often dont make it to the websites....

GL keep us posted and once again WELCOME TO THE DIS!

 

[RobDoc]

Welcome to the DIS!

The CM discount is 15% and would lower a 150 point purchase to $76.50 per point for a SSR purchase.

You can probably find a better price on an OKW resale if that's where you really want to stay.

The CM discount certainly is attractive and with the extra 12 years at SSR is the better financial deal. The fact that your preference is OKW does add something to the mix (plus the fact that you can probably purchase a resale for under $70 per point).

Do the math and I'm sure you'll find what will work best for your family and situation.

Enjoy!

 

[jxgriffi]

Thanks Doc....I knew I could find out anything I needed to know here! Thanks for the welcome...and hopefully soon, a welcome home!

I think, even with the discount, we will be looking into a resale. I'm not worried about the "12 year" gap and I think I prefer OKW. Now, I just have to find a contact that I want and get it bought so I can book our January trip with the kids and grandparents!

Thanks everyone....looking forward to trip #14 (in the last 4 years!)

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

Welcome aboard jxgriffi -- Good Luck in your search!!!

 

[rocketriter]

Sounds like you're planning well. In the end, if you can afford it, buying where you want to stay is still the best policy.

 

[Mark099]

Originally posted by jxgriffi
Thanks Doc....I knew I could find out anything I needed to know here! Thanks for the welcome...and hopefully soon, a welcome home!

I think, even with the discount, we will be looking into a resale. I'm not worried about the "12 year" gap and I think I prefer OKW. Now, I just have to find a contact that I want and get it bought so I can book our January trip with the kids and grandparents!

Thanks everyone....looking forward to trip #14 (in the last 4 years!)

Welcome!

Keep in mind that some resale contracts will not have the points you will need for your January vacation available. Choose wisely.

The 15% CM discount is a great deal, and you should seriously consider SSR at $76.50 per point. SSR resales are selling for more than that now. SSR is a very nice resort, now, and will be even better once completed.

 

[BillPA]

Welcome to the DIS, remember you can stay at any DVC resort, no matter where you own. OKW currenlty is one of the easiest to book. That could change as some of us early buyers that have been trying out the other resorts, cruises, II exchanges...start returning to OKW. When you run the numbers, remember the seller will most likely want to get his/her dues back, and closing costs could be your cost too. OKW dues are $3.68 and Closing is about $2 a point, just add that into your equasion.

Good luck with your decision, which ever you choose, WELCOME HOME

 

[av8tor]

I took the advice I received on this board and just recently completed the purchase of a resale contract at BCV. I am a big advocate of buying at the resort you are most interested in, especially when it is one of the smaller resorts. However, with your situation of having both a CM discount and interest in OKW (currently the DVC resort with the greatest availability) this may not apply as much to you. Because of the extra 12 years and your discount, SSR certainly has more of a financial advantage for you than most of the rest of us. If you do decide to go with a resale look for a contract with lots of banked points and negotiate heavily on the price, MF and closing cost. I have seen some post recently claiming some great deals. Look for a recent thread about what people have been paying for resale.

Good Luck!!!

 

[rinkwide]

We're from the OC as well and decided to go resale because we like BCV but also because we could complete the sale from home.

If you really like SSR go for it. The extra years would be nice. Unfortunately the complex is incomplete and off limits for us here in CA so that's a big turn off.

Another thought, last I checked my guide told me there were OKW contracts available at $85 that they had bought back through RoFR. Since that resort is completed you are allowed to inquire about it. If you could still get your discount, complete the transaction from CA, get immediate closing and access to your points, well, that might be the best of both worlds.

Either way you'll love DVC.

 

[AZKathy]

With what I have read so much here on these threads, it is not hard to get ressies at OKW at the 7 month window currently. So, why not get SSR to have an additional 12 years of DVC?

I am not good at projecting the future of getting OKW at the 7 month window; maybe someone more knowledgable will help in this matter. I also don't know the logistics of what happens in 2042 when the contracts for all the DVC resorts except SSR and beyond expire as to the 7 month window rule for OKW.

If things stay the same for many years down the road, I would buy a new contract at SSR and go for the 7 month window in booking OKW and getting 12 more years of vacations.

Good luck in your decision and I hope we can say Welcome Home to you soon!!!!!!!! BTW, welcome to the DIS!

 

[OurDogCisco]

Originally posted by jxgriffi
Hello everyone...long time lurker, first time poster...

We have a family of four and are definitely considering DVC. Because we are in CA, we cannot contact DVC unless we are at WDW.

Hi Jon,

This is not true. DVC cannot contact you regarding DVC but you can contact them. We bought a BCV resale last November over the phone totally unseen. We did not have to be present to purchase. The only thing our guide could not talk to us about was SSR at the time. Apparently, there is a lengthy registeration process in CA before a timeshare can be sold in CA. Hopefully, I am making sense. SSR might be registered by now. Although, I'd definitely visit if you had any doubts.

Tina

 

[LeftCoaster]

Personally, I would buy SSR if I were in your position. Currently, I own at OKW and do love that resort. The almost no difference in cost would be the deciding factor for me. I bought a small 100 point resale at OKW because that's what worked best for me. Using my costs, let's look at some figures.

$70 per point resale X 100 points = $7000
Add in $400 for closing costs and it came to $7400.

$76.50 per point SSR X 100 points = $7650.
No closing costs.

So, for an extra $250 you'd have an extra 12 years on the contract... for 150 points, I think the difference would be around $450. Very well worth it IMO and you can always try to book OKW.
Also, in 20 years if you decide to sell, I think the SSR contract with the added 12 years woud be more attractive than the OKW. That is assuming everything is still hunky dory in Orlando. yadda yadda.

 

[Mark099]

Originally posted by AZKathy
With what I have read so much here on these threads, it is not hard to get ressies at OKW at the 7 month window currently. So, why not get SSR to have an additional 12 years of DVC?

I am not good at projecting the future of getting OKW at the 7 month window; maybe someone more knowledgable will help in this matter. I also don't know the logistics of what happens in 2042 when the contracts for all the DVC resorts except SSR and beyond expire as to the 7 month window rule for OKW.

If things stay the same for many years down the road, I would buy a new contract at SSR and go for the 7 month window in booking OKW and getting 12 more years of vacations.

Good luck in your decision and I hope we can say Welcome Home to you soon!!!!!!!! BTW, welcome to the DIS!

In 2042, when all DVC resort contracts expire (except for SSR), those holding SSR contracts will only be able to use their points at the SSR (unless other new DVC resorts are built between now and 2054).

 

[mickeymouse710]

I agree with many of the others and would go with SSR. That is fabulous price for SSR and you will get an extra 12 yrs, which is a biggie! Even if you can not use the extra 12 yrs maybe your children or grandchildren will. OKW is always the easiest resort to get into, so you could buy at SSR, always stay at OKW--if that is what you prefer, and still have an extra 12 yrs of DVC membership!

 

[jxgriffi]

Thanks for all of the replies. Everyone has made so many excellent points that it's getting harder to decide (not to buy, but where!)

I was under the impression that I couldn't even talk with DVC until I was there because of the CA issue, but as someone posted, I can contact them, they just can't contact me. I am planning on giving them a call...maybe I can get a ROFR at OKW for even cheaper with the discount....who knows. I'm glad I asked about it.

I have no exception to SSR...I have stayed at most of the resorts on property and know they are all incredible (everything from AS to GF and everything in between). Both of my kids are growing up on Disney since we live a whole 5 minutes away, I know we would eventually use the 12 years....I know they will enjoy no matter where we end up!

Thanks everyone!!!!

 

[rinkwide]

Make sure and let us know how everything turns out.

 

[ceejay13]

Welcome to the boards! We originally bought 230 points at the BWV as it was the only one sale through Disney at the time (back in 2000). My DH soon became a casual CM at our local Disney Store for the holidays to help the manager who is a friend. We were then able to add on while he was a CM. We did get the 15% off and it was worth him going to work as CM for a short time. We did both of these purchases sight unseen back in Kansas. We were very familiar with DVC and had wanted to purchase for quite some time. We have since added on two more times but without the CM discount. Boy do I wish we still had the discount for those purchases. Our first trip was at OKW as the BWV were booked. We have since returned twice to OKW when we couldn't get into the BWV. Given the length of the SSR contract coupled with your discount and given the fact that most of the time you can get into OKW, I would go with SSR. I have to say also that we have loved every resort we have stayed at. My heart has a little bias to the BWV but they are all great and I would be very happy at any of them.

 

[jxgriffi]

Of course I hadn't checked here today, but I tried called MS...of course they were closed. I should have checked the boards first!!!

Anyhow, I will definitely be calling this week to see what I can do. I am so ready to take the DS6 and DD2 to WDW for the first time. Our DS has been asking since he was 4! I'm definitely ready for DVC! Hopefully they can be ready for us!

J