Using points for Interval International hotel stays

[MinnesotaChill]

We have points that need to be banked by Jan 31. We're also planning a European vacation in Oct of this year and are finding good options for using points to book single night hotel stays.
Three Questions:
1. Can I use banked points in the II system or do I need to book the hotel stays before I bank? Since we're not going until October, our itinerary isn't completely set yet.
2. Do we get "certificates" to use in II? I have family who have II exchange through Hyatt vacations and they log in to a separate II site where they are given one certificate a year from II. When I log in from the DVC site, it's a joint II/DVC page and no such certificate exists.
3. Why does II show me having more points available to use via my DVC membership than DVC itself shows?
Thank you!

 

[LB002]

I have used RCI, not II yet, so I can only offer a little info.

Points available are projected out - I think the 2 years in advance that you can transfer to II. Mine shows 430 - the 130 I have left this year and 150 each for next 2 years.

I *think* the certificates are bonus things. When you deposit from DVC you have a certain ammount in your account and book with what's banked in your account.

Check what hotels are available in the system (is it a location you want?), if you can trade for them (some are paid getaways only), availability. We are going to Europe this summer and it doesn't look like trades for my DVC points would be "worth it" (although if they were expising and a trade was the onlybway to use them, my calculations would be different). There were very limited options in London and Paris (where I was checking), and all were available for cash, not trades.