All -
I'm a prospective
DVC'er. After thinking about the best way for me to get into the soup, I'm plotting something that sounds very similar to what a least a couple posters on this thread are already doing.
Rather than one big contract (e.g. 300 pts) at one home resort, I would do 3 smaller contracts (e.g. 100 per) at three different home resorts. Currently thinking about VWL, AKL and to-be-determined. Contracts would be acquired one per year, for the next three years. Then using the bank/borrow/use philosophy, move all the points possible into the "middle" year of each contract for use in different calendar year, effectively rotating home resorts every three years.
This strategy makes sense to me on many levels: spreading the buy-in cost over three years. I would have the 11-month booking advantage at 3 different resorts. If I decide I have too many points, I can sell off some, but not all, of the contracts. And, at least for the next couple of years, if a new resort happens to be added -- CRV or other -- that resort could be the third contract. The main downside I see is that I will have to wait until one year after the year of purchase to use the points. But we have two
DCL cruises over the next 18 months, so I'll have to use those to get my Mouse-fix.
But enough about my schemes. I have a couple of questions I'm hoping you can help with:
(1) If you are an existing DVC'r, are contracts for a resort other than your existing home resort subject to the 150 point minimum? If, for example, I have a 100 point contract at VWL, and want to buy into AKL, can I buy 100, or will DVC require a 150 purchase? If 150 isn't the minimum, is there a minimum purchase for additional contract at different resorts?
(2) Do the terms of the DVC contract prohibit MS from modifying its policies around banking and borrowing? This is the only thing I see as a serious risk to my strategy. If DVC were to eliminate banking/borrowing, thereby requiring current year use, it would make my approach considerably less attractive.
Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.