resale or new?

[pnheck]

We are seriously considering becoming DVC members. We absolutely love BWV and would like to own there. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a resale or buying from Disney directly? Also, what is the importance of the month your year ends? Please feel free to give us any advice that would help us make this decision!

 

[vernon]

If you want to own at BW then it's likely you'll find a resale is your best route. If Disney does have any points for BW come up I think they tend to go as "add ons" to existing members.

Saratoga Springs, which is what Disney is now selling does have the advantage that it is for a full 50 years length of use ( as opposed to 40 for the other resorts) , but if you are a more mature purchaser that may not be so much of a bonus as it would be if you're in your 20s. Obviously there is a large (potential) financial advantage to having the extra 10 years on the life of the points but that may be countered if the price of a resale is significantly lower than buying through Disney. There are some good deals about for resales, particularly if you can find one with banked points.

The main advantage of a resale is it's a much smaller initial outlay, the main advantage of SSR is it's an extra 10 years of life.

Use year isn't a huge factor, but it does make your life a good deal easier if you have some time between when you usually vacation and the end of your year. The potential problem is if you have to cancel a vacation at the last minute and your points go into a holding account. They need to be used by the end of your use year. If your use year ends a matter of weeks after your vacation it could be very difficult to be able to use ( or rent ) the points. If you have 5 or 6 months then it gives you a lot chance to reschedule.

 

[lacool]

I think vernon gave an outstanding comparison. To add to it ...

One disadvantage of buying resale is the time involved from making the offer until you are able to start using the points. Buy from Disney and you can make a reservation today. Buy resale and it may be a 6 week process -- from your offer to acceptance, through Disney's ROFR, until closing, and then finally you are put into the reservation system as the member.

That said, if you are not in a hurry to make your first reservation, we bought resale from atimeshare.com and couldn't have been happier with the process. We got a contract that came with banked points and paid much less than we would have through Disney. I was leary of going through anyone other than Disney, but lots of folks on this board have done it and will give you references for many of the resale companies.

Good Luck!

 

[RuthnPaul]

PNHeck:

My DH and I preferred the resale route because we were able to buy several contracts both with banked points (enough to take book a 2-bedroom for 8 nights in mid-October '04 -- our first trip "home"!!). Buying through Disney doesn't afford you that "opportunity"!

With that being said, we are thinking of purchasing a small add-on to our BWV points and are considering going through Disney because the price would not be all that much different when taking closing costs into consideration.

As has been pointed out, there are pros and cons to both. If you buy resale, just make sure that you purchase a contract that has ALL (or at least most!) current year points available. There are people who buy "stripped" contracts which doesn't seem financially prudent since you'd have to borrow next year's points to book. There are a number of reputable resellers out there.

Good luck -- let us know what you decide to do...

RuthnPaul

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I think you answered your own question by saying you absolutely love BWV. Look for a resale @ BWV and you may be lucky enough to find a contract with some banked points as well as save a few $$$$. Good luck!