If you're paying cash (so financing isn't an issue), a resale might just behoove you -- especailly if you had your heart set on a sold-out resort.
DVC is selling new contracts at its current offering, SSR. I would suggest you contact DVC and find out what "perks" there might be for a new contract. Then, use the price per point there and compare versus a resale.
Lots of folks here have done both and can give you a myriad of pros/cons for resale vs. DVC direct. One thing I will say, however -- is that once you get that contract , regardless of HOW you got it, you are DVC!
As for OKW -- understand it's the flagship, the biggest of 'em all, and lots of folks that bought in back in the 90's may have had substantial life changes... divorce, health, relocation to another part of the country, economics -- these things affect everyone in the world, including DVCers. And again -- there will be a myriad of reasons offered here for WHY that resort is "lower" in price. One reason is that many of the original buyers bought for SO darn low... they don't need much to recoup their investment. ANother is that some consider the location of OKW to be more "removed" than the DVC resorts that are attached to deluxe resorts and more in the thick of things -- like BWV, BCV, and VWL. (And then again, some owners there consider that part of its very charm -- so go figure, it's six of one, half-a-dozen of another). Remember too that all of the DVC offerings (OKW, BWV, BCV, VWL, HHI and Vero) will "expire" 10 years sooner than SSR.
As for me -- if I were you -- I'll be honest, I'd REALLLLLLY look hard at resale! My SIL and her hubby have considered joining DVC ever since we joined... we joined through Disney, and just bought what they offered (BWV) even though we were enticed towards DVC because of our love for OKW! Back then, we were young and naive....Now, we're neither! We advised SIL to look at the resale contracts that come up and try for something there. I think we might add on again in the future at either SSR or HHI or OKW... and for the latter 2 resorts especially, I will surely be scanning the horizons for a resale contract.
Good luck.
