My typical advice is:
1) First, make sure you understand what the room would be like.
For example, a BCV studio has a queen size bed, a sofa bed, and a bed which is smaller than twin size and pulls down from under the TV.
If you have the sofa bed out and the under-tv bed out, you won't have much room to walk around.
There is very little storage space. The drawers don't fit much, it's a platform bed so you can't shove suitcases underneath it, and there are things in the closet such as an ironing board which take up space.
2) Second, make sure you understand that the cancellation/change rules differ depending on the person/agency from whom you rent.
I believe one agency is: all bookings are final. No change, no cancellations.
The other agency is: you can make changes but you get credits with the company, not cash back.
If you rent from an owner on the boards here, the owner gets to make their own rules.
3) Third, understand the timing for booking.
PP explained the 11 month/7 month rule.
That means people book early.
PP nicely said that you might have luck for March 2023 or summer 2023.
I'll say it differently: It's almost the end of March 2022. You're asking about a studio in June or July 2022 at the most popular
DVC resorts? Highly doubtful, even for 2 nights.
4) To answer your question about how it works if you put in your dates to make a request a rental with an agency:
I believe you have to pay something up front when you make the request.
David's has a list of people who told them they have points to rent.
If David's has someone on the list who has points which can be used to make the reservation you want, David's sends out emails to see if anyone on the list wants to make the reservation for you.
If someone replies that they are willing to do it, David's sends that Owner your information.
The owner makes the resie for you.
You'll have to look at David's website to see how what the rules are for when you have to pay.
But it's also possible that nobody on the list has points which will work. Example: if you want to book BCV in January 2023, David's might not have anybody who contacted them to say they have BCV points to rent.
You'll have to look at the website for the other agency to see how it works for them, I don't know their rules off the top of my head.
