HELP! Questions about a new purchase

[MsPleasant]

I'm hoping that someone out there can help with a couple of questions.

First, we are torn between HH and BCV for our home resort. How hard is it to get ressies when you only have the 7-month window? Our Disney travel is typically in May and September, but sometimes we like to go in early December or maybe the summer months.

Second, as far as costs/incentives are concerned, we have the opportunity to purchase at $75/pt until 6/30, since we had already started dealing with DVC before the price increase. Also, they are offering the Magical Begninnings buyback. Does anyone have any experience or insight as to whether DVC ever honors prior incentives (i.e. the $5/pt rebate or 1-week deluxe stay that was offered earlier)? And how does our use year affect things? We were looking at April, but with MB, we wouldn't get any points until April 2003. If we pick a later month, like August, do we "sell back" the 2001 points and then get points in Aug 2002?

Any help would be greatly appreciated - Thanks!

 

[rbuzzotta]

I don't know much about the buyback program as we bought through The Timeshare Store.

I can only reiterate what many DVC members have to say...Buy where you plan on spending most of your vacations. We bought resale because I wanted to stay at OKW.

I have been on the VB waiting list since the 7 month window for this coming August........still no word!! I did have a ressie at BWV last year but cancelled because DH preferred VWL and it was available. We try to split our 2 week vacation between our "home" and another DVC property. I always book the 2 weeks at OKW and when the 7month window comes up I try to change resorts.........

Good luck and Welcome Home!

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

Are you looking at Hilton Head and Vero because you see yourself going there most often?

If you see yourself going primarily to Disney on Hilton or Vero points then you might want to re-think your home resort.

That aside...I think September is easy to come by. I think May can be more difficult. Early December...the board says its tough...I haven't tried to go then so I don't know. Summer months...well I came to Disney once in the summer and never will do it again so I can't help you there either.

 

[MsPleasant]

Thanks for the info! We were looking at HH because of lower maint costs, but based on what everyone has said about the choice of home resort, we may go for BCV instead.

In a couple of other posts, I got the impression that when you buy, the points you are buying are immediately available, even if your use year is starting in a month or two. In other words, if we buy 150 pts now with an August use year, we would get 150 pts to use by July 31 2002, and then 150 more pts on August 1 2002. Is that correct? And if so, does the MB program allow us to sell back the first 150 pts, and still get new pts on August 1 2002?

Again, thanks for all the help and great info on this board!!!

 

[wdeversole]

If you purchase at BCV with an August use year, the points you sell back through MB would be the August 2002 points.

Use years sold at BCV started with February 2002. Any other month use year you choose would be that month of 2002.

 

[Shontell_Crawford]

I can tell you that from a resale point, in case you MUST sell later on...BCV will be the smarter purchase. Most of my clients are typically looking for Orlando.

On the other hand, if you travel to HH during the summer, it is supposed to be really tough to get a 2 bedroom during the 7 month window, so you may want to own there if you travel during that timeframe.

As for the Disney incentives, I always so go resale...you get the same thing for less. Sellers usually know they have to beat Disney's current going rate..

Regardless of where you buy, you'll love being a member!

Shontell

 

[jel0511]

If you buy an August use year, they would be Aug 2002 points, since they didn't start selling points for BCV until Feb 2002. Those points could be used for a stay between Aug 1, 2002 and July 31, 2003. If you used Magical Beginnings and sold your first year points back, you wouldn't receive any new points until Aug 1, 2003. You could still borrow your 2003 points for a stay before Aug 2003, if you wanted.

 

[robinb]

I agree with Shontell. If you can swing your own financing and have no burning need for points right away, then buy a resale. We own at OKW and BWV and both were bought on the resale market.

How long will it take? We made our offer for our 200 point BWV offer on April 24th and we just got the paperwork from our closing company that we are officially "closed". We still have to wait another 4-6 weeks for the deed to be registered according to the letter.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

How hard is it to get ressies - where? At HH during the summer months in the 7 month window? Very difficult. At another DVC resort at WDW, a bit easier. Do not by any means go by maintenance costs, go by where you want to stay most, especially during peak seasons. HH owners want to go during the summer, so the majority of ownership has the 11 month advantage at those times and gets those months. Vero has a longer season due to the weather, and summer may actually not be the prefered time (although we don't mind it). Christmas and Easter break at a DVC at WDW, probably gong to be tough, the easiest reservation to get will be OKW (due to the significantly dimminished desirability of this older, off the mainstream, no slide at the pool resort --- by the way, that's called aurgument baiting so that OKW folks can jump in and tout their beautiful resort, and make accusations of OWK bashing, it's just meant as a joke to make fun of baiting practices.)

A couple of dollars in mainenance expenses won't mean anything if you cannot get the reservations at the place you want to stay. Depending on how many points your purchasing, one option could be to split your points some at each resort. You can borrow and back to have three years worth of HH points for a HH vacation, and then during the other years, bank and borrow to have points for the 11 month window at your other resort. We actually own at two resorts and do this to give ourselves the 11 month advantage for peak seasons.

 

[BobH]

Buy where you want to stay the most to give yourself the advantage of getting reservations 11 months ahead. That being said I own at OKW and have stayed at Hilton Head the last week of May. I reserved 7 months out and I have stayed in Vero the first week of June again reserving seven months out. It is possible but you can't always count on getting primetime when you are not an an owner at the resort. Check the temperatures that are published on various weather sites to get an idea of whether you'll have acceptable beach weather at the times of year you want to travel - should you decide to buy at Hilton Head or Vero. I have a friend who manages to get a studio every year at Vero during the week of Presidents day in February, but it is often too cold for swimming in Vero at this time. I think you need to travel in May thru August to get the best beach temperatures at DVC HH or Vero. Just my opinion. Two contracts give you more flexibility but you need enough points in each contract to get a1 or 2 bedroom or grand villa. Decide exactly what type of accomodations you want before you buy two contracts. You need to have at least150-200 points if you want to accumulate your points and get a grand villa now and then. Good Luck!

 

[Caskbill]

Can you even still buy at HH? At the last member's meeting they said that HH was closed to new purchases, and only available to current members doing add-on's. I believe VB and BCV are the only two resorts available for new members.

Or maybe they're still offering you HH because you started negotiating before the change.

Nevertheless, don't buy HH if you plan to go to WDW most often. The concensus here has always been to buy where you want to stay the most. This cannot be emphasized enough.

 

[BobH]

Good point about HH possibley being closed. I bought through Disney - are there any resales of HH yet?

 

[Shontell_Crawford]

Bob,

There have been HH resales available for about 2-3 years now. They aren't as common as the other resorts, but definitely exist. The hard part (as with any resale) is finding the right size at the right time.

All the best,
Shontell

 

[MsPleasant]

I don't know about HH being closed. We did start talking to DVC before the increase, but about BCV rather than HH. We were offered HH as if it was nothing out of the ordinary, and in fact I believe our guide made the statement that they expect to have it sold out "by the end of the year."

 

[Dean]

I would only buy HH if it was my main goal to travel to HH in the summer time for a unit size that varied or for a length of time other than 5-7 days. If your main goal is to go to Orlando DVC, buy there. OKW will be the cheapest, as or more so than HH. You should have no problem with an occasional stay at HH outside mid June to Mid August if you own at another DVC resort.