How many times did you rent points before finally buying in?

[CupcakeLisa]

we never rented - we knew it was fo us after our first onsite stay and bought the trip after that

 

[mab2012]

It's America, and you're allowed to have that opinion.

I'm neither American nor in America, but I appreciate your generosity in allowing me an opinion, nonetheless.

The difference is that in an actual divorce there are legal precedents/protections/procedures to divide property and assets that more casual (legality-wise) relationships do not have.

This is a fair point. In Canada we have the concept of a "common law marriage". The specific criteria of what qualifies as a "common law marriage" varies from province to province, as do the specific laws governing the termination of such a relationship. But the gist is that couples who co-habitate in a conjugal relationship for an extended period of time are usually considered "married" for legal purposes, and upon separation they are subject either to the same laws that apply to married couples, or to laws that are substantially similar, at least where assets that do not pre-date the relationship are concerned. I suppose that context influences my general views on the matter; call it a cultural difference.

In any event, I was in no way trying to encourage the OP to go ahead with a purchase in her specific situation (as I clearly stated), nor do I think it wise for anyone in a relationship that could be considered "casual" by any definition, nor anyone who hasn't seriously considered the potential financial, legal, and emotional implications of such a purchase in the event of a separation. But even after all that, I stand by my opinion that there are many unmarried couples for whom it would not be an unreasonable choice. Maybe fewer such couples in the US than in some other jurisdictions!

 

[jnjhuddle]

We never rented. Kinda wish we bought sooner though no regrets with any of my trips! You are a huge step ahead of where I was with knowing the resale market exists. It never even occurred to me to research it. We paid cash for 15 trips prior to buying (we are a family of 6 so you can imagine how many points we could have owned if we put our vacation $$ into DVC a long time ago).

Maybe, maybe not. My husband and I shared a bank account and bought our first house together several years before we married. We've been together for 20 years, married for 13. My sister and her partner have also been together for nearly 20 years, and own their home together. They've never bothered to get married. IMO commitment matters more than marital status. After all, as the divorce rate attests, marriage is not exactly much of a barrier to break-up for many couples.

My husband and I also shared a bank account and bought our house together 16 years ago prior to marriage (but after engagement) and we are American!!

If I were in the OP's shoes though, I may consider each buying a smaller contract in ones own name to total the number of points needed, that way if there was ever a break up both walk away On equal ground. May be a few dollars more now to pay for closing costs on 2, but would save (potential) headaches in the future. It's always possible to later add a person to the deed if they so desired.

 

[hbrc2125]

Wow! Thanks so much to everyone for your input.
I have had a crazy week at work, but I'm hoping to sit down tomorrow and really read through everyone's suggestions and crunch some more numbers.
Just didn't want to let another day go by without saying thank you! This community is great and I really appreciate all of the different viewpoints that I probably wouldn't have thought of

 

[Julylady]

None. On the Mears shuttle on the way back to the airport from the Boardwalk hotel, I talked to a couple who owned DVC for about 40 minutes. Since I was on my way home after my 3rd deluxe hotel stay in 2 years with another one planned, DVC sounded like a good option. When I got home I researched it for about two days and then made a bid on a resale contract at OKW. It helped that I had just received a small inheritance from my Grandma's estate that paid for most of it.

Now, I always advise people to rent points first and stay in a DVC unit before a purchase. It seems like many get caught up in the Disney pixie dust and don't really understand what they have purchased. There are lots of posts of new owners who are upset because they don't get free dining, or want free daily maid service, or who are furious because they can't get a last minute reservation, or who think Disney owes them more discounts because they are DVC.

 

[suebeelin]

None. Stayed at BWI for $400/night in 2010. Hotel room small and cramped. Liked the location.

Bought resale at BWV 5 months later. No more hotel rooms-- 1bd minimum for us. Market low bc of recession. Could have saved $10pp if I researched more and negotiated better but oh well. Compared to today's prices I got a bargain.

Eyed BLT for years. Had another kid. Checked out towl. Decided to also buy BLT having never stayed there. Glad we bought. Prices skyrocketed. That was only 10 months ago. Staying there dec 2016 for the first time. Using points for poly in January 2016.

So, never rented points. We figure we save money/break even after 10 trips by buying dvc over renting. The only regret was staying at BWI at $400/night for 5 days. If we had rented we could have saved $1200 to put towards a dvc purchase. But then again we didn't know about dvc till we stayed there.

We never expected the value of our dvc to go up. Bonus.

 

[michelleiada]

We rented a few times to stay at BCV before we bought even though I already knew I wanted to own there. Staying there just confirmed it for me. It is a good way to try it out if you are not sure where you want to buy.

 

[JWG]

Nada

We've rented after buying in though... Points owned = not enough points no matter the number

 

[pinklotusflower]

we bought without renting or staying on site, bought at BWV as love the area and being able to walk to two parks, it just made sense at the time to buy straight off and put the money we would have spent renting to getting more points. Our only regret is not buying sooner but we didn't know about re-sale & it didn't add up until we looked at resale.

 

[msjprincess]

3 times. I would have bought sooner if I had the cash. I've known for at least 10 years that I wanted to buy. But I wasn't going to do it unless I could pay cash.

 

[gagirldawg95]

Before we bought DVC at VGF this August, we stayed in villas 5 times (through Disney, so pricey, but mostly discounts applied). This gave us the opportunity to decide if the size difference and limitations (vs deluxe rooms) were worth it to us.

It was also very helpful in deciding which home resort we wanted. I love the location of BCV (and stormalong bay), but having stayed there twice, we found that the layout and theming of GFV was just much more appealing. (We always do 1 bdrms, and I hate the shutters by the master tub in BCV and BWV.). Our first trip staying at GFV isn't until February, but we've stayed three times in regular rooms at GF, so we felt like we understood the resort well.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[boxer]

Just out of curiosity, where does everyone prefer to rent from? Private owners or brokers like Davids? What are the pro's and con's?

 

[DVC Mike]

Just out of curiosity, where does everyone prefer to rent from? Private owners or brokers like Davids? What are the pro's and con's?

Read this post: Do you rent out your points yourself or use a points broker?


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[oldwash]

One, or at least it will be. Going to rent points to attend next years food and wine festival while trying to purchase in the meantime. Been going to Disney for years but always received a very generous airline industry discount. Disney no longer does this so now buying makes sense. Renting points hopefully to assure a reservation for 2016.

 

[Canadian Disney Mom]

I never rented before buying. I had stayed off site before and once at All Star Movies

 

[DVCjj]

Never rented. Never stepped foot in a DVC room. Loved the many stays at S&D, Yacht Club, Beach Club & Boardwalk so knew the area well. Accidentally found out someone I respected had been a DVC owner (OKW) for years.
Inherited a little money & decided it would be wise & special to purchase a resale contract (BCV).

Would have saved a fortune had I bought sooner. Walked past those kiosks for years and years and was too afraid of (scary) timeshares.

 

[Popouri DVC]

Nada

We've rented after buying in though... Points owned = not enough points no matter the number

This is a great idea!!

 

[Crystal824]

We rented once before buying.