when to buy- will it offset cost of next trip?

[Tink&PirateMama]

Hi,

DH and I have been looking at buying DVC, we've decided upon buying SSR resale. We would ideally like to use points for a trip in early January. If we were to purchase something very soon... I'm thinking we wouldn't actually be able to book (assuming no problems with ROFR) until May sometime. Is that too late to get anything decent in January (keep in mind we will either be booking a 2 bedroom at SSR, or a 1 bedroom-not value- at AKV that has the couch and chair, and would be ok doing a few nights of both if we stayed a longer time frame (say 3-5 nights in each, depending on any extra points we get on the contract). What do you think??

I'm running the numbers to see how much it would offset the cost of that trip... and it seems substantial to me- IF it actually went through and we could get the rooms! I'm afraid that by May or June nothing would be left In which case, we'd have been fine just waiting it out through this year and seeing what contracts come up on the market.

Thanks for any feedback- I do understand this is not a guarantee... but I'd still like to hear what you all think is likely!

 

[RobDoc]

You should be fine. If you were to make an offer now you could easily be closed in May. You should be in the DVC system and able to make a reservation about a week after closing - so by mid-May you would still be within the 11 month priority at your Home Resort and would likely have little problem getting a 2BR there for early January. I'd make that reservation to make sure you have something reserved and then at 7 months (early June) see if something is available at AKV (and I'd expect you'll find availability there too at 7 months).

We have bought and sold DVC resale contracts five times and each time has been about 6 weeks from offer to closing.

Good luck!

 

[Buckeye Fan]

Our experience on resale has been approximately 2 1/2 months from offer to being in the system.

So, in June, you can start making reservations in January. If you make an offer today, you should be closed and in the system right on time to make those reservations at the 7 month window. I've never traveled that time of year, but have had very good luck booking anywhere I wanted at the 7 month mark as long as I called.

As for offsetting costs...absolutely. We spend $1800 at OKW right before we joined, and we could have used points for that entire vacation and put the $1800 toward our purchase. If you know you're buying in, it's a great time to do it.

Wishing you luck on finding a contract, and choosing a home resort! That's the fun part!

 

[SonicGuy]

We bought directly from Disney last October and had no problem getting two 2-bedrooms at SSR for this past January.

SSR is a huge resort and January a fairly slow month. You should have NO problem.

 

[Sandisw]

Your closing could take less than you think as well, especially if you get a motivated seller.

From offer to making a reservation, my resale took 1 month and 5 days. 17 days to pass ROFR and then about 10 days to close. Was in the system in 5 days.

After I bought the resale, within a week, I began the process of adding on at BLT. I was planning on waiting to do that until next fall but when I began pricing out the room costs for our summer book (already booked), I decided to take that $1800.00 and use it for my down payment for the BLT points.

Good luck!!1

 

[Buckeye Fan]

...I was planning on waiting to do that until next fall but when I began pricing out the room costs for our summer book (already booked), I decided to take that $1800.00 and use it for my down payment for the BLT points.

Good luck!!1

Wished I had done that! Still makes me sick to think that we KNEW we were buying in, and spent the $1,800 anyway. We didn't understand the program well enough to realize that buying in BEFORE a vacation made perfect sense! That mistake would have paid for 22 more points for the next 47 years!

 

[thelionqueen]

I agree with PP's. Buy BEFORE your trip, you will save thousands!! Now, I am extremely happy that I waited for BLT, BUT, if we had bought on our first DVC tour in 2005, we would have EASILY saved over $5,000 on the trips we took in between. If you know you're going to buy, NOW is a VERY good time to do so (saw a post of $66 per point @ SSR pass ROFR ), and you can use them for your next trip. Also, January is one of the slower times, you shouldn't have any trouble booking after you close. Best of luck on whatever you decide!

 

[Tink&PirateMama]

Thanks everyone - this is really helpful to read!!! It looks like January is a great time for us to try to book later!
I will definitely keep you posted on what we do next!
Calesta

 

[dcfromva]

I'm thinking we wouldn't actually be able to book (assuming no problems with ROFR) until May sometime. Is that too late to get anything decent in January (keep in mind we will either be booking a 2 bedroom at SSR, or a 1 bedroom-not value- at AKV that has the couch and chair, and would be ok doing a few nights of both if we stayed a longer time frame (say 3-5 nights in each, depending on any extra points we get on the contract). What do you think??

I'm running the numbers to see how much it would offset the cost of that trip... and it seems substantial to me- IF it actually went through and we could get the rooms! I'm afraid that by May or June nothing would be left In which case, we'd have been fine just waiting it out through this year and seeing what contracts come up on the market.

A lot of people think Jan is no problem to get a ressie, but there are times during the month that are very much in demand. It sounds like you are pretty flexible, so I think your chances are good to get something if you call in May.

The first part of Jan is the residual crowds from NYE-- in 2010, that would be 1-3 Jan. Then, there is the Disney Marathon weekend which starts Thurs (7 Jan) with the Health Fair. The 1/2 marathon is 9 Jan and the marathon is 10 Jan. This past Jan, we had a W-L for marathon weekend for anything for 1 or 2BR--only Sat came through (even with calling every day within the 7 day time frame).

The following weekend is MLK holiday weekend.

Towards the end of the month, many schools have a winter holiday which brings more folks down south to thaw out. In our county, in 2010 it will be 29 Jan, and 1 Feb. There are many families that stretch out the break and take a couple extra days off. I've noticed that different school districts have different sets of days off, but there are a lot that have a 2 day break in that time frame.

 

[SARATOGA ROB]

I putmy offer in on the 20 jan closed on the 14 feb
i have costed the rooms I have booked with my points at rack rate and the rack rate for the rooms is more than I paid for the resale

 

[CarolMN]

A lot of people think Jan is no problem to get a ressie, but there are times during the month that are very much in demand. It sounds like you are pretty flexible, so I think your chances are good to get something if you call in May.

The first part of Jan is the residual crowds from NYE-- in 2010, that would be 1-3 Jan. Then, there is the Disney Marathon weekend which starts Thurs (7 Jan) with the Health Fair. The 1/2 marathon is 9 Jan and the marathon is 10 Jan. This past Jan, we had a W-L for marathon weekend for anything for 1 or 2BR--only Sat came through (even with calling every day within the 7 day time frame).

The following weekend is MLK holiday weekend.

Towards the end of the month, many schools have a winter holiday which brings more folks down south to thaw out. In our county, in 2010 it will be 29 Jan, and 1 Feb. There are many families that stretch out the break and take a couple extra days off. I've noticed that different school districts have different sets of days off, but there are a lot that have a 2 day break in that time frame.

All that is true, but it really applies more to the 7 month window and the smaller resorts than to SSR during the home resort booking advantage period.

Because SSR is so large, it would be very, very rare to be shut out there for a January vacation before the 7 month window opens. There could be a problem getting a THV, but I can't imagine it will be a problem to get a 2 bedroom. JMHO. YMMV.

 

[dcfromva]

Because SSR is so large, it would be very, very rare to be shut out there for a January vacation before the 7 month window opens. There could be a problem getting a THV, but I can't imagine it will be a problem to get a 2 bedroom. JMHO. YMMV.

I agree that SSR would have the best chance for a ressie, but folks are often blind-sided by the fact there are some very popular events in Jan. and some dates could be sold out.

 

[Tink&PirateMama]

I putmy offer in on the 20 jan closed on the 14 feb
i have costed the rooms I have booked with my points at rack rate and the rack rate for the rooms is more than I paid for the resale

WOW! That is fantastic!! How many points did you get, if you don't mind me asking??

 

[Tink&PirateMama]

I agree that SSR would have the best chance for a ressie, but folks are often blind-sided by the fact there are some very popular events in Jan. and some dates could be sold out.

Thanks for all the heads up on this. Actually, we were originally going to book our trip and do a vow renewal- however, we realized that if we would be patient (and the vow renewal will not sell out, especially at our location), we could wait to book that date officially until after we were able to book our rooms after buying resale. That way, we wont' feel like we have to do it a certain week and are more flexible for that part... and if we have to bump the vr out a few weeks, and we are able to buy dvc and save the hotel costs, we're ok with that! But ideally, we'd still do it in january!

I can't wait to tell you all what happens with it all! Thanks again!

 

[jlewisinsyr]

The two stays before we bought at AKV were at GF and Poly, and if we had bought the DVC sooner (granted AKV wasn't for sale when we went to the GF) we would have had over $5,000 of the cost paid for of the DVC.