Vero beach at 48$ a point...why would I chose AKL over this one?

[Darby O'Gill]

I plan on lots of October vacations....we were looking into AKL...but its 97$ a point even with its current discount. But if I go Vero Beach through a resale company, I can get points around 48$ a point or so, and to the best of my knowledge, the only difference in a home resort is that you can book 11 months out at your home resort, and 7 at another wdw resort. I dont think there will be any difficulties getting AKL 7 mos out for october.....why would I choose AKL??

Any help here from the experienced dis nutz will be appreciated

Darby O'Gill

 

[Tigger031266]

Well I am no expert but your answer may depend on how you travel. If you buy Vero and want to stay at a WDW resort you may not have any availability at the 7 mo window.

You will most likely not be able to get value or even studios at many DVC resorts at 7 months.

You will not be able to stay at WDW DVC's during holidays. They will be full.

Additionally, you may want to check out Vero's maintenence fees. They are higher than most DVC's

However, if you travel often during slower times (fall...). Actually like Vero (I love Vero), like to stay in 1BR (instead of studio, or value), dont ever want a grand villa at WDW, and are happy with SSR as a WDW location (I love SSR), it maybe a good buy.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

I can say with almost certantity that the $48.00 a point is based on a stripped contract that will most likely be ROFRd anyway by Disney because it is well outside the pricing normality.

Also remember, Disney always reserves the right to break resorts away from DVC, if they did this and you owned points at VB, you could no longer book another DVC resort and you would be locked in. VB also has some of the highest MFs, which, long term are a greater expense then the initial purchase (a $20,000 initial purchase will be eclipsed 3 - 5 fold in maintenance fees over the life of the contract).

 

[chalee94]

I can get points around 48$ a point or so, and to the best of my knowledge, the only difference in a home resort is that you can book 11 months out at your home resort, and 7 at another wdw resort. I dont think there will be any difficulties getting AKL 7 mos out for october.....why would I choose AKL??

VB will have higher annual dues over time than AKV.

VB will expire about 15 years before AKV does. (2042 vs. 2057)

there is a small risk that VB might get hit by a tropical storm, which might result in additional fees (a "special assessment"). and if your real estate interest in VB is damaged, you might not be able to book any other DVC resort while it is being repaired.

there is a small risk that DVC might bail on it's non-park timeshares and spin off the HHI and VB resorts.

i'd agree that oct is a less busy time for DVC except the epcot resorts. there is a small risk that could change and you'd risk being locked out of wdw...but for now, i agree with you here.

i'd generally advise against buying VB and HHI unless you want to stay there but if the upfront savings are significant enough, then it's worth a little risk.

(and i'd agree that ROFR is probably a bigger risk than the scenarios listed above.)

 

[nunzia]

Isn't the Food & Wine in October? A very busy time for DVCers. If you want to save money and don't really care where you stay as long as it's on property, you might look into OKW..Just my opinion, but I had also considered VB to get into the system, and after much study decided, for reasons listed here and elsewhere, that I needed to buy an on site property.

 

[ToddyLu]

DH and I purchased 210 pts at AKV last June for $93 per point. We thought that wa a good price and I have not seen it dip down to that except as an incentive on a DCL. You would only be paying $4 more than we did....we were delighted with our studio accomadations in Nov. and have a trip planned this Dec. We live on the Gulf Coast so there is no pull for us to stay at VB or HH (now Hawaii would be a different story). So you would only be paying $840 more than we did....I do not think that is bad considering we have it until 2057...that breaks down to $17.80 (840/47) more a year over the life of the contract for spectacular villas on property at WDW...to be in an African setting with animals right out the window....guess I am AKV all the way!!

 

[dvcnewgirl]

I can say with almost certantity that the $48.00 a point is based on a stripped contract that will most likely be ROFRd anyway by Disney because it is well outside the pricing normality.

Also remember, Disney always reserves the right to break resorts away from DVC, if they did this and you owned points at VB, you could no longer book another DVC resort and you would be locked in. VB also has some of the highest MFs, which, long term are a greater expense then the initial purchase (a $20,000 initial purchase will be eclipsed 3 - 5 fold in maintenance fees over the life of the contract).

I passed ROFR with Vero at 47 a point. You may have a chance.

 

[disneynutz]

If it seems to good to be true, it probably is.

If it was a good deal, it wouldn't even last long enough to be listed.

Another negative indicator is that apparently even Disney doesn't want to buy it back.

Bill

 

[jade1]

Also remember, Disney always reserves the right to break resorts away from DVC, if they did this and you owned points at VB, you could no longer book another DVC resort and you would be locked in.

Yep, and all the changes they have been making (just because they can) would keep me a long way from a non WDW DVC Resort (and any I dont want to stay at). You should know what you are signing up for.

 

[Jason@dvcstore]

I can say with almost certantity that the $48.00 a point is based on a stripped contract that will most likely be ROFRd anyway by Disney because it is well outside the pricing normality.

Also remember, Disney always reserves the right to break resorts away from DVC, if they did this and you owned points at VB, you could no longer book another DVC resort and you would be locked in. VB also has some of the highest MFs, which, long term are a greater expense then the initial purchase (a $20,000 initial purchase will be eclipsed 3 - 5 fold in maintenance fees over the life of the contract).

Lately, at The Timeshare Store, Inc.® the Vero Beach contracts have been selling as low as $47 per point and these contracts are not stripped contracts. Disney has also been letting contracts at this price make it through ROFR. Of course, when Disney buys it back they are looking to resell that contract to someone on their wait list for more points. It might be the fact that nobody is currently on a wait list with Disney to buy Vero Beach points.

To give you an idea of a contract that recently went Sale Pending. It was VB150-12-0108. It had the points left from 2009 and all points coming for 2010 and the seller offered to pay the dues for 2010. It actually went Sale Pending at $49 per point and not the $47.

Jason

 

[Sandisw]

As others have said, unless you plan to stay at VB at least some of the time, buying there may seem a better upfront value, but DVC is a long term commitment.

Once you own there, you are not going to be able to book anything at WDW until the 7 month mark. If you begin to have problem booking what you want when you want, what then? You will be two hours away.

However, if you choose something like SSR, whose contract last 12 years longer and has MF's almost $2.00 per point less, you would be saving money over AKV (since the home resort booking priority doesn't seem to matter as much to you) but still be at WDW if you book during that extra time.

I still believe that people should buy where they want to stay or at the very least, okay with staying at. We bought BLT, even though it was about $5000 more than SSR because that is where we want to be and can make our reservations 11 months ahead.

While that was a lot upfront, over the course of the next 20 years, that equates to about an extra $250.00 per year we paid to KNOW we will be where we love. And, if I go to sell the contracts in 10 years (not that I plan to), I have a good chance, IMO, of getting more for my BLT resale than an SSR one.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I plan on lots of October vacations....we were looking into AKL...but its 97$ a point even with its current discount. But if I go Vero Beach through a resale company, I can get points around 48$ a point or so, and to the best of my knowledge, the only difference in a home resort is that you can book 11 months out at your home resort, and 7 at another wdw resort. I dont think there will be any difficulties getting AKL 7 mos out for october.....why would I choose AKL??

Any help here from the experienced dis nutz will be appreciated

Darby O'Gill

October is an off season for Vero Beach. You can easily get a ressie at 7 mos for anything but a cottage in October. It is really great weather at VB during October!

 

[Dean]

As a rule I don't feel that buying VB/HH are reasonable choices to get to WDW. While there are savings, the yearly fees are higher and the expiration is earlier, both remove value. You can buy VB for say $48 pp, SSR for ? $72 pp and AKV for ? $82 pp all resale. Of those SSR is the best value to get to WDW IMO due to the fact it has a later expiration AND it allows you to book on property 11 months out. Still, VB & HH are nice properties, if you'll use them part of the time, that might shift my thinking. I think you can count on eating up all the savings and then some over the lift of the contract at VB due to maint fees.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Here's a demonstration based on what we're saying regarding dues:

As you can see the after 10 years, the savings in buying VB is completely wiped away in comparison to SSR and in about the 15th year with AKV.

There are of course some assumptions (at the top), but these are pretty static/accurate assumptions. Also, this also demonstrates the effects of dues in the long term, overall you'll pay more in dues, then original purchase price if you keep your interest over 5 - 10 years.

 

[CarolMN]

Allow me to be a devil's advocate -

Interesting that some who recommend buying small contracts because they are easier to "sell", won't recommend buying the less expensive non-WDW resorts because eventually the dues will eat up the savings.

IMO, many buy DVC planning to keep it until the bitter end, but a whole lot of them end up selling for a myriad of reasons.

FWIW, if I were in the market for more points, I'd seriously look at VB at $48 per point.
If you are willing to stay at any of the WDW DVC resorts and have some flexibility with villa size, you will be able to get something at 7 months for pretty much all times of the year.

Do your own cost-benefit analysis and be realistic about how long you'll keep the contract. VB might turn out to be a very good deal!

 

[Dean]

Allow me to be a devil's advocate -

Interesting that some who recommend buying small contracts because they are easier to "sell", won't recommend buying the less expensive non-WDW resorts because eventually the dues will eat up the savings.

IMO, many buy DVC planning to keep it until the bitter end, but a whole lot of them end up selling for a myriad of reasons.

FWIW, if I were in the market for more points, I'd seriously look at VB at $48 per point.
If you are willing to stay at any of the WDW DVC resorts and have some flexibility with villa size, you will be able to get something at 7 months for pretty much all times of the year.

Do your own cost-benefit analysis and be realistic about how long you'll keep the contract. VB might turn out to be a very good deal!

I realize you're playing devil's advocate. IMO, it depends on the fee spread and the up front price difference. My biggest concern is you're giving up an 11 month option at WDW, something I personally feel is very important. Even if you don't book at 11 months, I'd hold the same view for 8 months out or even 7.5 months. Since I feel that the fees differential will remain a good $1 pp on average, I see no long term benefit to VB over say SSR or an extended OKW if you won't use the points there thus there is no real advantage to buying there. You'd also be giving up the extra years of some other options, an issue that also has value, IMO. To me $25 a point difference between VB and a non extended OKW is about a break even, it'd need to be larger for more valuable options. To me that's even more true for smaller packages because the closing costs are a larger pp cost. Lastly, you get what you pay for, meaning the value of the VB contract is likely to at BEST keep pace with the other options but the last few years would suggest that's not even accurate.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Allow me to be a devil's advocate -

Interesting that some who recommend buying small contracts because they are easier to "sell", won't recommend buying the less expensive non-WDW resorts because eventually the dues will eat up the savings.

IMO, many buy DVC planning to keep it until the bitter end, but a whole lot of them end up selling for a myriad of reasons.

FWIW, if I were in the market for more points, I'd seriously look at VB at $48 per point.
If you are willing to stay at any of the WDW DVC resorts and have some flexibility with villa size, you will be able to get something at 7 months for pretty much all times of the year.

Do your own cost-benefit analysis and be realistic about how long you'll keep the contract. VB might turn out to be a very good deal!

It only takes 9 years for VB costs including the original purchase and dues annually to exceed a similar purchase at SSR. I would think anyone dropping a significant amount of money on DVC would intend to at least hold it 10 years (although this would be an interesting statistic to find out - average amount of time DVC is kept from date of purchase).

Also, I think some recommend the smaller contracts mostly to make it easier to sell off points that people don't need as their lifestyles change (ie. children move out, etc).

 

[CarolMN]

It only takes 9 years for VB costs including the original purchase and dues annually to exceed a similar purchase at SSR. I would think anyone dropping a significant amount of money on DVC would intend to at least hold it 10 years (although this would be an interesting statistic to find out - average amount of time DVC is kept from date of purchase).

My recollection is 7, but I don't remember where I got that idea, LOL. I'm sure that most who post here are not "typical" members.

Also, I think some recommend the smaller contracts mostly to make it easier to sell off points that people don't need as their lifestyles change (ie. children move out, etc).

If the intent is to sell at some point (no matter the reason), that is just more reason to do a cost-benefit analysis before completely dismissing VB.

My only real point is that sometimes our DIS "canned" responses aren't the only right answer - there can be exceptions depending on individual circumstances.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

If the intent is to sell at some point (no matter the reason), that is just more reason to do a cost-benefit analysis before completely dismissing VB.

My only real point is that sometimes our DIS "canned" responses aren't the only right answer - there can be exceptions depending on individual circumstances.

I agree, canned responses don't make much sense in this scenario, which is why posts that offer details, scenario outlines or charts can help demonstrate the risks and rewards.

 

[Dean]

I agree, canned responses don't make much sense in this scenario, which is why posts that offer details, scenario outlines or charts can help demonstrate the risks and rewards.

True to a point, however, really about the only issue for VB that would affect the equation as a purchase beyond simple price and dues comparison is if one plans to use at VB part of the time. NO amount of "I don't ever book before 7 months" will justify the purchase technically, IMO.

I think it does take far longer to show a "break even" standpoint currently than it did before if you include the time value of money espcially. I think even 10 years is a little short to expect the crossover. However, it will come eventually and even at break even by 2042 without additional costs, I wouldn't think VB a good vehicle for DVC for WDW alone.