? re: SSR vs. resale at BWV

[hygienejean]

I have been on the phone today with a DVC guide who was giving me the hard sell on SSR. I LOVE BWV and would like to buy there but I am not so sure now....

I have a BUNCH of questions....

First about SSR:
Has anyone here seen it and what did you think? How was the proximity to DTD? Is there a boat that takes you there or is it a walkway? The pictures that I have seen look wonderful of course. What are the rooms like? Is the resort absolutely huge? How were the busses and did it seem remote?(like VWL....far away from things but lovely and quiet)

What is the rental market like at SSR? Is it getting 10 pp at least? Is it getting less at the 11 month window?

The guide I spoke to tried to give me many negatives regarding resales. He told me that 75% of what was up for resale is bought back by Disney and the rest are not b/c there are probably some back dues or something negative about the particular listing. He is basically telling me that I might as well get BWV through Disney at $89.00 pp on a waitlist rather than going through a resale dealer. Is any of this true? Oh and then the contract ends in 2042.

I am sure that you all know about the 10.00 pp discount through the end of February. This makes SSR at $85.00pp and cheaper than BWV! I think the contract ends in 2054 or something like that. Price wise this is more enticing to me than the 89.00 pp. Is SSR that great?

I was in WDW in October and I WISH that I stopped by to see SSR.....I feel a little strange buying something sight unseen...

Any advice? If you have some I sure would like to hear it. I am just so confused as to the best option. I do love BWV but would I love SSR?

Thank you all for any help!

 

[amandaC]

We own at SSR and love it. Our last stay had a great DTD view. There is a walkway and it only took us about 10 minutes. Yet, being that close, we did not hear any noise at night. The pool is great (my DS (okay me, too) loves the slide) and the quiet pool is also lovely. I like the decor and the rooms are okay sized.

Yes, SSR gives you 12 more years. My guide also told me the promo was ending 2/28.

Everyone here will tell you to buy where you want to stay. Personally, we like SSR but want to try all the DVC. But we'll be happy if SSR was the only thing available.

BWV and SSR are very different. BWV is in the middle of it all. SSR is more of a secluded retreat. SSR has exterior hallways. I don't see why people dislike this so- we kinda like it.

Good luck with your decision- one thing I know is that you'll love DVC- I don't think any of the resorts will disapoint you!

 

[Doug7856]

We love SSR. We love the rooms and the landscaping is beautiful. The pool is one of my favorites on Disney property. Many say the pool is too small; however, when you compare the number of people it can accommodate to other pools, I don't think it is out of proportion to other resorts. The Congress Park quiet pool is amazing. Hopefully the additional quiet pools will be of equal quality. Due to the layout and the walkways and the proposed bridges, I don’t think the feature pool is really an excessive walk from the majority of the rooms.

I do have a concern about some of the Paddock buildings, but I don’t think they will be bad, just not the “ideal” location. I am sure we will enjoy them when they open.

From the Congress Park buildings, Downtown Disney is a very short walk. The boat and motor coach are also available. The central buildings have a village feel that we really liked. SSR feels like a resort that is self contained. It is unmistakably Disney in quality and features.

Everyone says “Buy where you want to stay.” I would agree, but before you write off SSR, you may want to look further. Go to WDWinfo.com Timshare Site and look at the pictures of the various resorts. It may help you decide. They have some great pictures of SSR. We have never been to BWV, so we can't compare, just express our opinion about SSR.

Good Luck!

 

[hygienejean]

Where has this been moved to????

 

[Beca]

Where has this been moved to????

The Disney Vacation Club Forum.


I don't agree with your guide...I think he is INDEED doing a "hard sell" on SSR. I am keeping up with a "ROFR" thread right now...there has not been a BWV that has been ROFR'd by Disney above $77 (just a confusing way of saying that "SO FAR" all contracts that people have bid $78 or above, they have gotten). And, while "sometimes" the contracts aren't great...sometimes, you can find contracts '03-'05 points attached to them for $78-$80 per point. If you wanted to, you could rent out part, or all of the banked points, and in essence, get a price reduction on your cost.

I think your guide deliberately told you some "misinformation"...buy where you want to stay. The ONLY reason to get on the waitlist for BWV via DVC is if you need their financing. Otherwise, there are 3 "big" timeshare sites with a lot of resales listed. ROFR is a "nerve-wracking" process...there is no way around it...it just STINKS!!! But, owning where you really want is SOOO worth it!!!



Beca

 

[kathleena]

First - already said - buy where you want to stay.

Second - List all the reasons why you like BWV. Can you apply those same reasons to SSR?

Last - why are you asking about rentals already? Never base a timeshare buy in on rentals.

I love BWV and I know I would not be happy with SSR. I would be trying to get into BWV all the time. Yes the property is nice there and it's a nice location, but it is so, so, so different than the BWV. And judging from some of the building construction I saw in Dec - a lot of rooms will be looking out onto a highway! I love the decor, the PI view is great, but I'm not so sure about those road view homes. Time will tell what they put up for trees and barriers I guess! (Maybe these are the Paddock mentioned previosly)

As far as the guide trying to scare you into backing off of resale market - remember they are trying to earn commissions so they want your sale! Yes, there is ROFR, but 75%???? I would question that. And anything that is "wrong" with the contract - you would know up front and be able to decide on.

So now, just decide what has more pull for you - the additional years, the discounted cost up front, the location? That should give you your answer!

 

[sjdisneywedding]

I think the number one rule of thumb is buy where you want to stay.
If you dont have a huge preference then start to look at the other factors. i can say that SSR, in my opinion is a great resort and the rooms are absolutley beautiful. The pool is very nice and the lounge chairs are fantastic.

The only thing I didnt care for at SSR is the road(broadway) that goes through bascially the middle of the resort. To me its way too much of a main road to be going through the middle of a resort and is way too close to the main pool. I dont mean main in thats there cars going 50 down it, but i mean main in that its a double yellow laned road which in my opinion leads to people driving faster on it and not paying attention as much.

 

[hygienejean]

Thanks to all that have repled......I do LOVE BWV and I probably wouldn't be happy if I bought somewhere else. I would always be trying to get in there and I would be so disappointed if I couldn't.

So tell me about the resale thing. If a contact says something like 79 pp should I offer 80pp? Is lowballing just not going to work b/c of the Disney buyback? I have heard about closing costs with resales. The guide I spoke to today told me they were around $500 or so and Disney does not have them.

I fanyone has any experience with resales I would love to hear what you thought about it. How easy? How long does it take?

Thanks to all who have posted. I appreciate it!

 

[Steamboat Bill]

If what you are posting is true..."The guide I spoke to tried to give me many negatives regarding resales. He told me that 75% of what was up for resale is bought back by Disney and the rest are not b/c there are probably some back dues or something negative about the particular listing." I would ask to speak to another guide as this one may be misrepresenting the facts.

 

[Beca]

Thanks to all that have repled......I do LOVE BWV and I probably wouldn't be happy if I bought somewhere else. I would always be trying to get in there and I would be so disappointed if I couldn't.

So tell me about the resale thing. If a contact says something like 79 pp should I offer 80pp? Is lowballing just not going to work b/c of the Disney buyback? I have heard about closing costs with resales. The guide I spoke to today told me they were around $500 or so and Disney does not have them.

I fanyone has any experience with resales I would love to hear what you thought about it. How easy? How long does it take?

Thanks to all who have posted. I appreciate it!

Resales take about 35-40 days from start to finish. As of right now, I would think $79 per point would get thru, but DVC is "rumored" to be increasing VWL, BCV and BWV to $94 either March or April...so, really my advice to you is to pay the most generous amount you are comfortable paying to get thru ROFR. In the big picture...$1-2 per point divided by 37 yrs is NOTHING compared to 37 years at the resort you love (or, even better...one month of stress). Just for the record...we have "overbid" what the owner was asking for on our last 4 contracts. We do what we have to do to own at Disney!!!

It is true, depending on the size of your contracts, closing costs are about $500, and DVC does not charge you closing costs.

Good luck,
Beca

 

[Alexander]

I agree with buy where you want to stay, if you plan to book your vacations 8-11 months in advance. Really that is your advantage. We usually don't book that far out, so this was not an advantage for us.

Disney has been using it's ROFR more so lately, but 75% seems like it's been stretched a little. I just checked the Timeshare site, and there are a ton of properties currently for sale. Many more than when I last checked a week ago. So if you really want a resale, then I'm sure you'll find what you want.

We decided not to go resale for many different reasons. ROFR, closing costs, higher financing rate, and length of time for closing. We ended up buying 220 pts. from DVC with the $10 off/point. We were just more comfortable going this way. You need to do what you feel is best.

It sounds like your guide was trying to take advantage of you. Assuming you didn't know much about buying into DVC. Keep in mind too, that he is a salesman, and if you buy through a resale, he loses his sale. It would be like going to a Chevy dealer and saying, "well I'm thinking of buying a Ford."

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Go what will work for you!

 

[simpilotswife]

IMO getting an extra 12 years for less than $10 is a no brainer. I don't believe that there is any DVC property onsite that I would be unhappy staying at. Also keep in mind that buying at SSR does not preclude you from staying at BWV, it just does not guarantee it.

 

[hygienejean]

Where can I find the maintenence fees for the DVC resorts????

Thanks!

 

[Alexander]

Where can I find the maintenence fees for the DVC resorts????

Thanks!

Annual dues for 2005 per point
at each resort are as follows:

Saratoga Springs $3.82
Old Key West $3.86
Hilton Head Island $4.03
Beach Club Villas $4.26
Wilderness Lodge $4.35
Boardwalk Villas $4.41
Vero Beach $4.86

 

[TLH1977]

I agree the 12 extra years do sound convincing and we too thought the SSR offer was a no brainer. We recently rented points for the Boardwalk and loved it mostly because you can walk to MGM and Epcopt and not have to wait for the bus. So due to the size of SSR i would think it would be easier to get into that resort within the 7 month window and harder to get into the smaller resorts. With this being said we too are leaning more toward the Boardwalk or Beach Club through resale. The 37 or so years left on Boardwalk will benifit us greatly, and considering our age i dont think the extra 12 years is going to really matter in our case

 

[Beca]

I agree the 12 extra years do sound convincing and we too thought the SSR offer was a no brainer. We recently rented points for the Boardwalk and loved it mostly because you can walk to MGM and Epcopt and not have to wait for the bus. So due to the size of SSR i would think it would be easier to get into that resort within the 7 month window and harder to get into the smaller resorts. With this being said we too are leaning more toward the Boardwalk or Beach Club through resale. The 37 or so years left on Boardwalk will benifit us greatly, and considering our age i dont think the extra 12 years is going to really matter in our case

That was my thought exactly...37 years now when my daughter is small (and, hopefully a child #2 will come along soon!!) and will ABSOLUTELY love getting to stay at BCV with SAB EVERYTIME (if we book early enough), vs. 50 years of "sweating" to see if we get to stay at our "favorite resort" or "our home resort" just to have the advantage of the last 12 years...which may, or may not be important to us (I will be 78 when my contract ends...I don't know that I will want to go to WDW 3-4 times per year, or even will be able to afford the "outrageous" dues ). I am buying my DVC for NOW...not for 38 years from now.

But, I am one of the people who would be REALLY sad if I found myself staying at SSR a lot. And, truthfully no one knows what the reality of this will be in 5-10 years. So, for me...it is SOOO worth the price differenct to get the "home advantage", so dd can "grow up" at BCV. I just wish I could afford more points!!!



Beca

 

[ColoradoBelle1]

Of course a seller's job is to tell you all the reasons you want to buy through him and all the negatives for buying through someone else.

Re RESALES: It really depends a lot on the 'deal' you can find AND the number the points you want to buy:
Where $89 a point through Disney might be 'a better deal' is if you are buying , say 50 points or less. And that is because of closing costs. It is true that usually the buyer pays closing costs in resale. If you are buying 400 points tho...the costs are about $1.00 a point...So if you fuond 400 BWV at $76.00 a point...your 'cost' would be '$77'...much less than Disney's $89...kind of a no brainer. AS for the resale having some due maintenance fees or mortagage...THAT is what the closing costs pay for: title search and insurance which should turn up anything like that. AND you can sometimes find a resale that has points from 2003 and 2004...givign you a much better deal (If it gets through ROFR)
Maintenance points at BWV and SSI are different but points needed to stay at SSI are more than at BWV for standard view...it kinda makes the difference in maintenance (higher for BWV) a nonissue.

The best thing to do is to start looking at resales and seeing if there are any that when 'adjusted' are significantly less than the $89 Disney has out there.
If you make an offer and Disney RORFs it...you can always go through Disney waitlist.

Finally, ROFR helps Disney keep their sales prices high...but it also helps DVC owners keep their resales high! The only time it 'hurts' is when a DVC memeber tries to ADD ON...if they find a good resale and Dis ROFRs it.
As a buyer...ROFR makes me pay MORE to get in...but once I'm in, it helps protect me if I have to ever sell.

Hope I didn't bore if I have been stating the obvious. I will probably keep my points forever BUT I just like knowing in advance what would happen IF I was forced to sell. (And the divorce rate that is 50% in the general pop is about 64% in the empty nester years...so beware.

I'm a knocking on the BWV door and hoping to get in soon.
Colorado Belle

 

[littlestar]

If you want BWV, buy there. SSR is my least favorite DVC resort and it would be my last choice (I never could tell where I was when we were walking around there - I kept having to look at a map). But, I like a resort feel vs. a condo feel. Although, Old Key West I do like because it has a little bit of a small town feeling to it (quaint and very pretty).

Resales are not always a bargain. If the points are gone for 2005 and 2006 you have to value those points at $10 a point. If you buy from Disney you know you are going to get (depending on use year) 2004, 2005, and 2006 points. If I'm looking at a 150 point resale contract and the points are all gone for two or three years that's like taking off at least $3,000 worth of reservation points. 150 + 150 = 300 x $10.00 a point = $3,000. Then you have the closing costs of $500. Do the math and depending on the resale contract, you might be better off buying BWV through Disney!

Good luck and buy where you want to stay. Vacations are too important to leave to chance or maybe I'll get what I want and maybe I won't. No way would that work for me - I'd hate it.

 

[bongo59]

the extra 12 yrs does not have to be looked upon as at the end of the contract.........let me explain...........when i bought in 91 at OKW we had forty some odd yrs left..........now 14 yrs later we can sell that contract for double what we paid........and it still has 37 yrs left on it...........in 14 more yrs i doubt it will double again because it will have only 23 yrs left so the premium will fall at some point...........SSR premium is likely to last longer because of the extra 12 yrs..........the potential buyer then in 14 yrs are likely kids right...........and buying in to them with 37 yrs left will be worth the premium as it is to those today for BW...........i hope i explained that.........ultimately i believe you should buy where you want to stay...........but there is a huge benefit to SSR over the old DVC places on the value side that i think many here discount way to easily..............

 

[TammyAlphabet]

Excellent Little star, and I might add, if the contract is loaded, they up the price considerably so that it makes buying through disney more and more attractive......

If you want BWV, buy there. SSR is my least favorite DVC resort and it would be my last choice (I never could tell where I was when we were walking around there - I kept having to look at a map). But, I like a resort feel vs. a condo feel. Although, Old Key West I do like because it has a little bit of a small town feeling to it (quaint and very pretty).

Resales are not always a bargain. If the points are gone for 2005 and 2006 you have to value those points at $10 a point. If you buy from Disney you know you are going to get (depending on use year) 2004, 2005, and 2006 points. If I'm looking at a 150 point resale contract and the points are all gone for two or three years that's like taking off at least $3,000 worth of reservation points. 150 + 150 = 300 x $10.00 a point = $3,000. Then you have the closing costs of $500. Do the math and depending on the resale contract, you might be better off buying BWV through Disney!

Good luck and buy where you want to stay. Vacations are too important to leave to chance or maybe I'll get what I want and maybe I won't. No way would that work for me - I'd hate it.