What if resale is not for me??!

[RoseMom]

Last week I signed a contract for a small SSR contract. My plan was to buy a small resale contract and then be able to purchase direct points in 50-75 point increments. However, I canceled my resale SSR contract today. First, I don't think I am a resale type of person! Does that make me a bad person lol?! I don't think I can play the waiting game!! Second, I should have put an offer in on a contract at a resort that I want to buy points at direct as well. I don't want to buy direct points at SSR! I could really kick myself for not buying AKV back a few months ago when it was $181 direct. Anyway, which resort would you buy direct due to point chart, current value/incentives, and location if you were only buying 150 points direct?

 

[hglenn]

Last week I signed a contract for a small SSR contract. My plan was to buy a small resale contract and then be able to purchase direct points in 50-75 point increments. However, I canceled my resale SSR contract today. First, I don't think I am a resale type of person! Does that make me a bad person lol?! I don't think I can play the waiting game!! Second, I should have put an offer in on a contract at a resort that I want to buy points at direct as well. I don't want to buy direct points at SSR! I could really kick myself for not buying AKV back a few months ago when it was $181 direct. Anyway, which resort would you buy direct due to point chart, current value/incentives, and location if you were only buying 150 points direct?

Personally, I would buy VGF... I think that's a great investment right now even though there are no incentives at 150. If you wanted a little perk, you could go to 175 pts and get a small incentive. Great resale value on it and people really want to be there... IMO, it's got a small advantage over RIV due to resale and MK location rather than skyliner....

 

[Royal Consort]

I wouldn't be buying any of the sold out resorts direct. The only two I would consider is their active resorts: Riviera and Grand Floridian. Anything else I would buy resale as the direct price is a substantial increase over resale offerings.

 

[gregskellington]

Agreed with PP...unless one of those fire sales comes back, sold out resorts are terrible value. I'd buy RR because I strongly prefer it to VGF.

 

[havoc315]

There are a lot of reasons to buy direct over resale. Everything comes at a cost. Resale is giving up ease of purchase, it's giving up some perks, and it comes with restrictions. So nothing wrong with buying direct...

Which resort to buy based on your variables:
- Point chart is kinda irrelevant. If you could get a room at POP Century for $200, but a room at Grand Floridian was $210, would you choose POP Century because it's $10 cheaper? The same works with point charts. Rooms at Old Key West are fewer points than rooms at Grand Floridian -- But the rooms are also cheaper when paying cash. So while you should certainly consider costs, remember you get what you pay for. The nicer and newer resorts, the bigger rooms, cost more points.
-Location -- Nobody can answer that for you. Want to be walking distance to Magic Kingdom? On the monorail? On the skyliner? Close to Epcot and DHS? Walking from Epcot? It's an entirely subjective question.
-Value/incentives -- The best incentives are always at the newest resorts that have millions of points to sell. So that's Riviera and Grand Floridian (due to the expansion of DVC there). The direct price of a sold-out resort can be quite a bit inflated.

I realize I probably didn't help you much. But my advise is mostly:
- Buy where you would want to stay, as you'll often be stuck there.
- In terms of value, look at is based on your subjective preferences. Okay... 150 points.. maybe that's enough for 8 nights at SSR but only 6 nights at Riviera. (guestimate, I didn't look it up).. so would you rather have 8 nights at SSR or 6 nights of Riviera per year?
-In terms of value, especially if buying direct, AVOID the 2042 resorts. Financially, paying direct price on the 2042 resorts just doesn't make mathematical sense. It would be cheaper to pay cash every year.

 

[RoseGold]

150 points won't go far at VGF or RIV, which are the only resorts I would consider buying direct right now. If you're really in this for the long haul and want RIV studios clawed out of your dying hands, I don't see a problem with buying RIV, but that doesn't sound like you. I would wildly guess the next fire sale would be BLT, because of how unappealing it has looked next to VGF. But that won't happen until VGF is sold out, which is way longer than waiting a few months for a resale contract.

To me, monkeying with some paperwork and waiting a few months was more than worth it for a loaded contract. Plenty of great looking AKL contracts right now.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

150 points won't go far at VGF or RIV, which are the only resorts I would consider buying direct right now.

Plus, the decent incentives don't start until 200 points and the really good ones not until 300.

 

[Sandisw]

VGF and RIV would be my choices for going direct. If you don't have a preference with either one of those for a home resort, I might choose RIV because it does come with 2021 points, and has a slightly lower point chart over VGF. However, the MF's right now are less at VGF..though it ends 6 years earlier.

People will caution you about the resale restrictions of RIV...but so far, things have not panned out as badly as many of us predicted 3 years ago. While we have no idea what will happen in the future, if you plan to hold for at least 10 to 20 years, I don't think it will be that much of an issue down the road. We own both direct and resale RIV because it is our top resort and honestly, have never used resale value as part of the equation to figure out if DVC made sense.

Good luck!

 

[Lumpy1106]

Last week I signed a contract for a small SSR contract. My plan was to buy a small resale contract and then be able to purchase direct points in 50-75 point increments. However, I canceled my resale SSR contract today. First, I don't think I am a resale type of person! Does that make me a bad person lol?! I don't think I can play the waiting game!! Second, I should have put an offer in on a contract at a resort that I want to buy points at direct as well. I don't want to buy direct points at SSR! I could really kick myself for not buying AKV back a few months ago when it was $181 direct. Anyway, which resort would you buy direct due to point chart, current value/incentives, and location if you were only buying 150 points direct?

Oh boy, so much to unpack here. It looks like you have talked to a reseller as you had made an offer on SSR. It also sounds like you just don't like SSR. OK, did you go back to the reseller and ask them about AKV then? Sounds like you regret not buying there. Not sure what to make of the "waiting game" comment - are you planning a trip in the near future and are you counting on using your DVC points for that trip? In that case, is there availability for that trip even if you buy direct? Remember; most of us book 7-11 months out (on the morning of 11 months out to get the best options). Buying direct over resale does not change that. If you are referring to the time it takes to go through ROFR and close the resale contract, OK - but if you aren't travelling right away you have time.

IMHO, you should take some time to really look into points charts, banking and borrowing restrictions, use year - for starters. See if you can get a feel for availability. 150 points goes a lot further if you can get a standard view studio compared to a better view room, or have to upgrade to a 1br. 150 points goes a lot further at SSR than it will at RIV. WHEN will you be going? It makes a big difference. The app xxx (removed because no link was provided) Also, don't forget about maintenance fees - they vary quite a bit between resorts. Talk to the guide (if direct) or reseller (if resale) - maybe both. Again IMHO, the reseller will give you better advice as they are not incentivized to steer you towards buying RIV or GFV. Ask a ton of questions, watch YouTube videos, listen to podcasts - there are tons of places to get great advice wherever you turn. If's a big financial outlay - you want to be happy with what you decide.

 

[Wedgeout]

I’d only buy direct at a resort you like priced at or near the current direct pricing of active resort sales. Not at one those overpriced ones. Only resale at those. Starting resale is a great choice if can handle the wait. Study everything about a resort above and beyond just a point chart. Know number of villas of each size. Everything available on each property from community halls, food, recreation, number of pools, etc etc. Also all the transportation options. Just today (not weather related), the Epcot Skyliner line was down. Luckily they had cast members and signage to help to advise guests that buses where running to affected resorts at Boardwalk and Beach Club.