I'm wondering exactly how this will work with all the restrictions on this. Here's my theoretical situation.
I'm booking at my home resort at 11 months out. I'm about 10 points shy from booking a full week (last day is 35 points and I only have 25 after all other days are booked). Based on this rule "One-time-use vacation points cannot be applied retroactively to existing reservations", will I be able to add on one last day at 7 months where I use my remaining 25 points and pay for 10?
Yes, you can do that.
Also, I don't see why they couldn't let us pay for the "extra" points needed to complete a day at the 11 month mark. They could limit this by not letting someone buy points to pay for a whole day - only in the case where you need a few to complete a day's worth of points.
Even the these one-time-use points will have an assigned Home Resort. The problem is that allowing 11 month bookings would require DVC to track inventory for every every single resort. Additionally, on resorts like BCV, VWL, BWV, it's entirely possible that they will not have enough inventory to meet member demand. Those resorts are all "sold out" and DVC only keeps a moderate supply on hand for member add-ons.
By limiting this to 7 months, DVC could use unsold points from SSR, BLT, AKV or even points they re-acquired via ROFR at the likes of Vero and Hilton Head.
It states this is an "alternative" to borrowing. Does that mean you can ONLY add these points to a ressie booked with current UY points? What if I need more than 24 points? Can I borrow some AND add these 24 at $15 each or not?
Yes, you can do that. It's just being marketed as an alternative to borrowing. It is not a replacement for borrowing.
I am EXACTLY 24 points short for a trip next year but need to book at 11 months out as it is during Premier Season.
If you have no other options, just book as many nights as you can at 11 months and call back 7 months out to see if the final night can be reserved. Premier Season may be the highest-cost time of the year, but that often prevents it from being the overall highest demand period.
Are you able to book a cash room at 11 months? If so couldn't you cancel this at 7 months and rebook with these points rented from DVC?
Rooms booked at cash rates through CRO come from a different inventory. You can't book a CRO room and then convert it to points.
Through DVC, rooms are normally only made available for cash rates when DVC projects that the resorts will otherwise be at less than 100% occupancy. If that's the case, there is really no reason to book at 11 months--something will still be available 7 months out.