What type of buyer are you?

[intamin]

Stole this idea from https://***********.com/author/winamas/ but he basically separated people's buying habits for resorts into 6 categories:

1. Low up front costs (VB, HHI)
2. Number of years remaining
3. Total cost of ownership (network points)
4. Low dues
5. Buy where you want to stay
6. Predicted resale value/exit strategy

Which ones do you feel like you prioritize the most?

I feel like our order would be

1. Buy where you want to stay
2. Number of years remaining
3. Low dues
4. Total cost of ownership
5. Predicted resale value/exit strategy
6. Low up front costs

Just because we're on the younger spectrum probably of people who own a timeshare so the longevity (sorry Crescent Lake 2042s ) and dues matter but above all else we own where we want to stay but I'm interested to hear what you guys have to say

 

[Sandisw]

Buy where I want to be is the number one thing we used. The dues and buy in came with that.

We did not consider resale value as part of the decision.

 

[JackosinDIS]

A mix of buying where we want to stay, and total cost of ownership.

While I didn’t focus on the resale value too much, I did think about the exit strategy in terms of how easy it would be to sell the contracts…

Overall this strategy ended up with me owning 12 smaller contracts (with a few 160-200 pointers mixed in) at lots of different resorts. I have 11 month booking everywhere I like, which was important as coming from the UK I need to be able to get more than just a few nights at each resort, plus lots of points to combine at the 7 month mark, which I’m planning to use for a big AUL trip in a couple of years and maybe splashing out on the cabins or bungalows occasionally!

 

[Disney Spaz]

1. Buy where you want to stay
2. Low dues
3. Number of years remaining
4. Total cost of ownership
5. Low up front costs
6. Predicted resale value/exit strategy

For our family where we stay is most critical. We book at 11 months and love our home resorts. Most of the family is in education so our trip timing is set up more than a year out.

Low dues is also a factor. We toured FWC today and the annual dues were awful. I understand why but would not be interested in taking on that responsibility.

Length of time is also important because our DD is 18 and will get our points so they will be used until the end of the contract.

 

[Tatebeck]

Ours would probably be

Buy where you want
Total cost
Years remaining
Low dues
Up front cost
...
...
...
Exit strategy


Young here (early 30s), looking to have a good time for a long time at a lot of resorts. I'm ADD so I always want to switch things up at different resorts, etc.

Exit strategy is by far least important to us because we were able to buy all with no financing, and are fairly well set up for our future, unfortunately in part due to my parents' passing. But that makes us want to have as much fun as possible with our family we have now and future family as well

 

[atthebeachclub]

All of the above? LOL.

For me location was #1. I am not flying all the way to the most magical place on earth to stay at a Hilton or similar way down the road. I figured location would also be useful in case I need to rent my points out some year.

Next was today’s costs (as I paid cash), points charts, and dues, and also exit strategy. If the current out of pocket purchase cost was low enough (a la Beach Club), my exit strategy was to use until expiry. But I also didn’t want to buy something that I can’t sell without a huge loss if something in our lives suddenly goes completely sideways, like someone developing a random terrible cancer or something. (When you work in healthcare you see enough bad stuff happen to normal people that a Plan B for all life choices is always in the back of your mind.)

Edit to add: I also considered types of room availability, numbers of beds (my kids refuse to share and sometimes a grandparent will accompany us), and lock off and non lock off room presence and how this impacts availability.

 

[Chili327]

I'm thinking...

1. Low dues
2. Buy where you want to stay
3. Low up front costs
4. Number of years remaining
5. Total cost of ownership
6. Predicted resale value/exit strategy

 

[WDWEPCOT]

Buy where you want to stay!!
Try and get beach club during food and wine it’s not easy But it is if you own there and the pool is awesome !!!
I’ve enjoyed concierge several times in Animal Kingdom - that’s hard to get if you don’t own there - I feel their dues are justified as it’s for the animals ( that’s what I tell myself ) ymmv

I’m trying to get back into DVC and I’m wanting my Blue Card status back - but I’m getting resale first so I get member pricing to cobble my way back to blue with hopeful sales where I want to stay !!!

Although that Poly tower is looking really nice !!

 

[VGCgroupie]

Im a sucker for a deal so low up front cost because I can get a deal on GC to pay dues ... or... if Im being totally honest how much I saved compared to the last guy (resale) is what really drives me. I love buying cars because I love negotiating deals.

But.. I have a husband who has to reign me in and make sure that total cost of ownership has to become the #1 reason.

 

[Chili327]

Buy where you want to stay!!
Try and get beach club during food and wine it’s not easy But it is if you own there and the pool is awesome !!!
I’ve enjoyed concierge several times in Animal Kingdom - that’s hard to get if you don’t own there - I feel their dues are justified as it’s for the animals ( that’s what I tell myself ) ymmv

I’m trying to get back into DVC and I’m wanting my Blue Card status back - but I’m getting resale first so I get member pricing to cobble my way back to blue with hopeful sales where I want to stay !!!

Although that Poly tower is looking really nice !!

You were a member then sold everything? Interesting.. How long have you been out of it?

 

[hhisc16]

Bought for where we want to stay

Hhi also has low buy in cost

 

[RuntheMouse]

1. Buy where you want to stay
2. Number of years remaining
3. Low up front costs
4. Total cost of ownership
5. Low dues
6. Predicted resale value/exit strategy

#1 is a strong one for us. We love all of our home resorts!

#2 Years remaining for us, we are in our early 50’s so we love that our contract expirations are staggered. That way as we get older and maybe travel less, we’ll have less points every few years. Also love that RIV might outlast us but that means when we are OLD we’ll have the ability to stay in a compact tower with Skyliner access!

#3-5 just kinda fall where they do.

#6 Least important for us. The plan is ‘til death do us part”!

 

[WDWEPCOT]

You were a member then sold everything? Interesting.. How long have you been out of it?

Divorce for most of it … Less than three years / trust me I tried to keep some of the multiple contracts but a certain someone would not negotiate insisted on them being sold - no worries it’s not like DISNEY is going anywhere
It is what it is and I’m moving forward !!! I can obtain what I want and I’m not going to focus on what I had it won’t do me any good !! I’m waiting on ROFR on a BLT contract I feel I got for a good price and I got my Disney Visa so I’m slowly putting my plans into place !

 

[Massachusetts]

Kind of a cross between @Chili327 and @VGCgroupie - have only bought where we like to stay but I like trying figure out market imbalances (or at least what I perceive to be imbalances). Dues are also a large factor.

Planning to hold my positions long enough to enjoy 3-4 weeks a year down there once retired. Hopefully the kids and eventually grandkids will join us once in a while.

 

[supercarrie]

I think these rankings differ a bit based on each contract purchased so far for us. We wanted an overall #TeamHybrid strategy after years upon years of researching, and wanted our home resort priority to be at places a) we wanted to stay but also b) can be challenging to get into at 7 months. (For instance, I LOVE SSR, but it is generally very easy to get into, so we bought BLT instead. Same with AKL, because I don't care about value or club level rooms.) In the long run, we will probably stay quite often at those resorts, though.

1. Buy where you want to stay (BLT, Riv - with a possible Poly direct or resale purchase in the future)
1a. 11 month availability difficulty

2. Number of years remaining (2060 or later ideally because I am still in my 30s)
3. Low dues
4. Total cost of ownership (network points)
5. Low up front costs (VB, HHI)
6. Predicted resale value/exit strategy (we bought Riv direct so LOL at this for us)

We became members with the purchase of SAP+ at BLT in February. We are under a direct contact for Riv with a delayed close, which will allow us to consider Poly if it goes on sale in the next few months. Realistically, I think we'll keep our Riv contract and consider Poly resale down the line if 7 month availability is really hard. (I like Riv standard view, so really wanted the 11 month availability and a favorite week.)

 

[CastAStone]

Boy I’m not sure I’m quite any of those.

We wanted to stay in larger accommodations. 1BRs for now, perhaps 2BRs eventually.

Onsite at WDW was a must, so it had to make financial sense vs the next best large accommodation alternative, which is the All Star Music Family Suites.

It had to cost less, even if it was better, because the cancellation and flexibility are SO much worse.

If you use a TVM calculation more or less at all, SSR has the lowest cost of ownership, but I really felt I had to get it loaded and in the low $80s to make the math work for the 1 bedrooms (which are so overpriced on points).

It took me 3 years of waiting for prices to slump. But they did! And I got it!

So I guess my order would be
1) Total cost of ownership

…and of those 6 options, that’s it!
Some other factors for me:
2) Math works vs ASMu Family Suites assuming I could always get the family suites at 30% off, and using a 3.5% net discount rate
3) Ample 1 bedrooms
4) Ability to book closer in than 7 months (without feeling ripped off for having to settle for a lesser resort than I have my contract at)
5) Some level of confidence that the dues won’t become insane

 

[BlueIsis]

Divorce for most of it … Less than three years / trust me I tried to keep some of the multiple contracts but a certain someone would not negotiate insisted on them being sold - no worries it’s not like DISNEY is going anywhere
It is what it is and I’m moving forward !!! I can obtain what I want and I’m not going to focus on what I had it won’t do me any good !! I’m waiting on ROFR on a BLT contract I feel I got for a good price and I got my Disney Visa so I’m slowly putting my plans into place !

This was me...out of it eight years post-divorce while I rebuilt my life and finances, but made up for lost time over the last year or so buying several contracts and savoring every minute of my DVC vacations!

 

[Kailunkat]

It's interesting to see everyone's different views on it. For us it was a value proposition VS cash booking or rental. So our priorities settled out as
1. Buy where you want to stay
2. Total cost of ownership
3. Low dues
4. Predicted resale value/exit strategy
5. Number of years remaining
6. Low up front costs

 

[DaveNan]

For me it was a financial decision....

1. Total cost of ownership
2. Buy where you want to stay
3. Number of years remaining - 90% cost of ownership (periods), but the "hassle" of buying again, or owning too long has a small impact


x Low dues - part of total cost of ownership - annual cash flow
x Predicted resale value/exit strategy - part of total cost of ownership - assumed FV
x Low up front costs - part of total cost of ownership - PV

My first contract was 100% made on total cost of ownership (NPV). I have added some additional properties based on resort, but the numbers still needed to make sense.

 

[Unclelude]

1) Total cost of ownership
2) Low dues
3) Low up front cost
4) Years remaining
5) Exit strategy
6) Buy where you want to stay.

1-4 are all kinda related... maybe even 1-5... looking for "value". We quickly moved from studios to larger rooms, so we really don't have any issues at 7 months.

Have fun!