What are the smallest possible contracts to find through resale?

[cgcruz]

If I buy the smallest contract possible, will I still get all the DVC member benefits? I could see using this to at least take a weekend outing GUARANTEED a year. This would be something that really interest me. I am just as happy staying at a value when I want a longer vacation. I would like it to take advantage of the discounts.


Also, right now I am renting points for a trip to the world in March 2006. If I wanted to transfer the points that I rented from this person to my DVC account, is this possible?

 

[tjkraz]

The smallest contract available would be 25 points.

Regarding member perks, be aware that they are not guaranteed by contract. They can, and do, change often. It took 14 years for the club to offer an Annual Pass discount to members. Before that the only ticket discount was a measley 10% off on the length of stay pass. And nobody really knows how much longer the AP discount will last.

Additionally, many of the perks are limited to trips when you are actually using your DVC points. For example, you can't book a cash room at Pop Century and use the pool hopping perk.

I suspect you'd have trouble transferring points to your own contract if they are used for a current reservation. First, the member would have to actually agree to the transfer. Members are limited to either transferring points in OR out in a single year. Due to that restriction, many people approach transfers with a great deal of caution. Next, your existing reservation would have to be cancelled. If anyone is on the waiting list for a room for your dates, the cancelled room would go to them first. Once the points are transferred, you could then re-book the stay, pending availability.

 

[cgcruz]

how likely though am I to find a contract of 25-35 points?

 

[tjkraz]

how likely though am I to find a contract of 25-35 points?

My understanding is that your best chance would be to contact every resale broker you can find and ask to be placed on their waiting list. Those size contracts don't come available often, and rarely make it to the public websites before an offer is submitted.

Don't expect to have much of a choice of Use Year or other specs unless you are patient.

Also, expect to pay a premium price. Short supply + high demand means that prices are usually 10-15% higher on a per-point basis than larger contracts. You'll also pay closing costs that are proportionately higher than a larger contract. Closing starts in the $250-300 range, so add another $10-12 per point.

 

[cgcruz]

besides the timeshare store, what other trustworthy timeshare brokers are there?

 

[PamOKW]

Also keep in mind that a smaller contract will limit your ability to do outside trades. DVC includes a caveat that even a 150 point contract may have difficulty since the trades are usually for a week at a time.

 

[iankh]

I bought a 25 pt contract via, and got a good deal on it too. While it does on the surface seem like a handicap, it does also get you "into the system." You can then add on as you like directly through Disney. Once you can go directly to Disney you could (if they have the points) add on in 25 point increments, which might be an attractive approach over plopping down for 150 pts at one time.

 

[cgcruz]

So I should be able to find a 25 point contract if I just can just wait? I sent an e-mail to the timeshare store but I don't know of any other broker. Does anyone know of any other? Thanks!

 

[tjkraz]

Try a google search. Several resale vendors have had their names banned from these forums and it's impossible to list them on this site. You could also keep an eye on eBay and www.tug2.net.

 

[ralphd]

The closing costs will be a factor to consider if you buy a small resale contract. I think the closing costs start at around $400.
Disney includes the closing costs in the cost per point, but will only sell less than 150 points if it is an add-on.

 

[utahkennedys]

I got a 25 point contract at OKW after being on the Timeshare Store's call list for about 2-3 weeks I think. It was pretty quick. You have to be ready to act and watch quickly.

 

[paults]

cgcruz

If I buy the smallest contract possible, will I still get all the DVC member benefits? I could see using this to at least take a weekend outing GUARANTEED a year.

if you want a weekend outing it will take a lot of pts. At OKW in the low season it takes 20 pts per nt Fri/SAT = 40 and 8 a nt weekday. You would have to bank and borrow then skip a yr of vacation.

 

[T.E. Yeary]

Just a reminder for those who might have missed this!

Closing Costs REDUCED on smaller point DVC Resale packages!
After much discussion between The Timeshare Store, Inc. and Timeshare Closing Services, Inc., we came to an agreement and wish to announce that the following prices will take effect as of Thursday July 28, 2005 for those purchasing from The Timeshare Store, Inc. (These prices are NOT retroactive, so please do not ask about it.)

These prices DO include the necessary title search and estopple information from Disney Vacation Club.

25pts to 50pts Closing Costs = $262 without Title Insurance Policy - additional $60 for Title Insurance Policy

51pts to 75pts Closing Costs = $299 without Title Insurance Policy - additional $60 for Title Insurance Policy

76pts to 100pts Closing Costs = $337 without Title Insurance Policy- additional $60 for Title Insurance Policy

DISboard Members, pat yourself on the back, we heard your voices!

The Timeshare Store, Inc., hopes this will be helpful when you make your smaller point package decision!

Thomas E. Yeary (Tom)
Owner/Broker

 

[vascubaguy]

My initial purchase was a 40 pt contract at OKW. It's hard to predict what might come available, but just from my few months of watching the resales, finding contracts under 50 points takes time. You can usually find 50 and up on a pretty regular basis, but like others have mentioned, you will likely pay a premium for those contracts... and then the closing costs push the per point cost up even more. However, it's a good way to get in the system and get started without going into the debt of a 150 point contract.

 

[keishashadow]

IMO as a licensed relator & satisfied customer, the agents @ Timeshare Services cannot be beat for quick & competent customer service.

I made one phone call and an agent patiently described the whole process & answered all of my questions. Since I was ready to purchase, I indicated how many points I was interested in and @ what resort. I was advised that I'd receive a call when a match became available. Within a week, we were under contract!

It is my experience that the "hot" smaller offerings are spoken for in minutes. You must act decisively.

I will add that once I had my resale contract I did add on directly thru DVC in order to get the exact number of points & UY I needed to add-on to my contract. Good Luck.

 

[Dean]

Even at the $250 that Timeshare Transfer charges, that's quite a premium on a smaller contract. But I think there are situations where all one really needs is to get into the system, esp for those that live nearby or will only go every 2 or 3 years. I could certainly recommend buying a larger contract if one thinks they truly need more points. And if one really needs more points but can't afford it, most of the time saving the money and waiting would be the best option.

 

[las3888]

Our original interest in DVC was to be able to buy smaller contracts. They won't let us list the other timeshare resellers here but do a google search and a few should come up. There are some that provide excellent service. That being said, the Timeshare Store (this web site's sponsor) probably has the largest inventory. Anyways, it's worth a google search to monitor the other reseller's websites. Smaller contracts are harder to come by, but we have found 3 that fit our needs when the time was right.

We started I think with 100 pts but have purchased a 50 point contract as well. We have never bought from Disney but only from resellers. It's worth any extra closing costs to have a little peace of mind if you are not ready to jump into a 150 point contract right away (at least in my opinion).

 

[RobDoc]

... They won't let us list the other timeshare resellers here but do a google search and a few should come up. ...

That is NOT true at all. There are many that are mentioned here all the time. There is only one that is not allowed by our site word filter and that was for violating our site guidelines.

 

[vascubaguy]

Of the "major" 3 that most refer to here on the DISboards... TTS is by far the most used (and has the most listings). Another one to check is Jaki Apetz with A Timeshare Broker . If you are looking for smaller listings you'll need to talk to her because they sometimes combine them into one. When I first contacted her I didn't see any listings lower than 150 points, but she told me she had someone that had a 210 pt contract and a 40 pt contract but had it listed as 250 points. she asked the seller if they'd sell them separate and they agreed...

Just give them a call, let them know what you are looking for. Contacting the agents does obligate you to purchase from them, but it will give you a slight advantage in hearing about the listings before they are advertised to the public.

 

[DiznNut]

We purchased a small 25 point contract just to get into the system. We were a little hesitant to spend the amount of $ that Disney wanted just to see if we would like it. Also, didn't want to spend alot of cash to rent DVC for a rew nights to see if we liked it. So for us, we found a 25 point contract with 25 points banked, called Jerry at TTS and purchased. Sure it cost a little more per point and we had to pay closing cost, but if we didn't like it, we felt that we could sell a smaller contract much more quickly than a 150+ contract. We haven't had a chance to use our points as of yet, however, we plan on visiting in Dec after our Disney cruise and hope to do an add on.