Trying to find the value in DVC

[CoachG]

At 11 months yes, you must use contract(s) with that home resort.

You are never allowed to "unborrow" points; once points are borrowed that's it; they remain in the Use Year they were borrowed to (and can NOT be banked either).

At 7 months ALL points [under your membership #] are treated as one big pool and you can (and I have) used them interchangeably for any of your contracts. For example, I've mixed things and used 3 points from my VGC contract and 49 from my BLT one on a single reservation made less than 7 months from arrival.

What some people do is take current use year points (2010 for example) from contract #1 and also borrow next year's points (2011) from that contract to make a reservation in 2010 at 11 months out. Assuming contract 2 has a different home resort, bank 2010 points for it and then in 2011 make a reservation at 11 months out using 2010 & 2011 points.

Hope that helps!

Thanks DVCGeek - I certainly have a better understanding of the system now. I'm assuming that if contract #1 and contract #2 are at the same resort and have the same UY that you could combine them at the 11 month mark so that we could buy smaller contracts so that maybe we could sell one later if we no longer had the need for as many points?

Maybe I'm too worried about the 11 month thing as well - we try to go when the crowds are low (typically end of April or early May). This year we went right before spring break crowds because of the new baby coming but at 7 months out will we still have a wide choice of 2BR villas if we're trying to go during the lower crowded times?

 

[hellerjw]

I'm assuming that if contract #1 and contract #2 are at the same resort and have the same UY that you could combine them at the 11 month mark so that we could buy smaller contracts so that maybe we could sell one later if we no longer had the need for as many points?

Yes, this is exactly what we did. We had 3 contracts (100, 100 & 200) all at AKV and all with a March UY. At the 11 month mark we could combine the points from all 3 to have 400 pts to play with. We later decided to scale back a bit and sold off the 200 pt contract without affecting the two 100 pt ones.

 

[DVCGeek]

I'm assuming that if contract #1 and contract #2 are at the same resort and have the same UY that you could combine them at the 11 month mark so that we could buy smaller contracts so that maybe we could sell one later if we no longer had the need for as many points?

That is how it should work; all 4 of my contracts are at different resorts so I haven't done it personally. Sounds like hellerjw (above post) has done just that though!

Maybe I'm too worried about the 11 month thing as well - we try to go when the crowds are low (typically end of April or early May). This year we went right before spring break crowds because of the new baby coming but at 7 months out will we still have a wide choice of 2BR villas if we're trying to go during the lower crowded times?

It depends a lot on when you are trying to travel and where you want to stay. Crowds are generally low during the first week of December, but many DVC resorts book up fast and getting one you want at 7 months may be difficult or impossible. Epcot resorts (BWV & BCV) tend to be very crowded during all of food & wine, so 11 months may be important for them. Same could hold true for the rarer booking classes of rooms any time of the year- ESPECIALLY for concierge at AKV; there are only 10 units so if you don't call 11 months to the day your chances are slim. Not impossible, but slim. However, if you aren't too particular about which resort or room category/view you get, are felxible with your dates and/or travel during times when DVC isn't busy you should usually be fine.

With any timeshare the earlier you book the better off you are; you are less likely to be successful with last minute reservations at DVC than cash room from what I've read.

 

[WizardLarz]

I thought the value in any time share was "over time" you make a gain!
If I keep My DVC thourgh the life of the contract there has to be a "value " or I would not even think of buying. Even if it is 15 years to the break-even point then I've got 20 years left where all I'm paying is my MF. From what I see the Value is there you just have to decide how much you what to invest and just hold on to it and pass it on to you kids!

 

[Dean]

I thought the value in any time share was "over time" you make a gain!
If I keep My DVC thourgh the life of the contract there has to be a "value " or I would not even think of buying. Even if it is 15 years to the break-even point then I've got 20 years left where all I'm paying is my MF. From what I see the Value is there you just have to decide how much you what to invest and just hold on to it and pass it on to you kids!

That is the question, actually 2 questions in my book, does it offer savings and does it provide value. IMO the reality is that many buy DVC that get marginal benefit in either of these areas looked at objectively, esp if they use points routinely for cash equivalent exchange options. Unfortunately I think some were finding out how close they were to the bubble of whether DVC really made sense when the reallocations hit. To me DVC needs to be a clear savings or provide a clear value at marginal cost to be a worthwhile consideration. Unfortunately I think it's an emotional issue for some more than a rational decision.

As for other timeshares, it depends. Some will never show a value at the buy in price (or even for free for some) and others will provide a windfall with a lot of in between options. It's like a stock, you make your money on good research and the buy in price.