# Exchange Interval for DVC



## jojuvan (Mar 30, 2022)

We have owned a nice Wyndham resale contract for about 2 years.  A big selling point for that was being able to exchange into RCI for DVC.  Now that DVC is partnering with II, we are wanting to purchase another resale contact that will allow us to exchange into Interval.  So my questions are:

1.  What would be the cheapest way to join Interval? (Marriott, Vistana, Welk...etc.)?
2.  How does the points/exchange system work for Interval in comparison to RCI? - For example, we have 308,000 Wyndham points.  I can use 105,000 Wyndham points traded into RCI for a week at DVC.  How does this scenario work with Interval?
3.  What if I have an actual week with a timeshare company (say Marriott)?  Do I have to use those actual week dates to book a DVC for that same week?

BONUS QUESTION:  How long will DVC be offered still in RCI?  I still see them popping up through July at this point.  Will they be available through 2023?

We typically would be booking a 1 bedroom DVC, so we just need enough points to cover that through Interval. 

Thank you!


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## rickandcindy23 (Mar 30, 2022)

I don't own II points or Marriott points or Vistana points.  I do own floating weeks that I deposit into II and trade into Disney.  I trade Sheraton Broadway Plantation (mostly) for the best exchanges.  I have yet to trade into Disney since the change to II.  I don't want summer weeks. The two-bedroom SBP lockoffs in summer season are the best.  Vistana deposits a generic week with a combined trading power of what season you own.  We own floating weeks 9-43 and 47.  It doesn't matter if you own a week 9 or 43 or 27, the trading power is exactly the same. 

Marriott resorts, I deposit prime summer weeks, which I reserve through Marriott for my season. We own Marriott's Willow Ridge in Branson. Great trading power for the lockoff units. I pay I think $90 extra for each week to "lock off" my unit for two sides of the lockoff and deposit each separately. Works great, but studios pull best with ongoing searches.

I have a very limited knowledge of trading power because I haven't bought a bunch of different Marriott and Vistana weeks.  I know Sheraton Desert Oasis (we own two of those) and Sheraton Broadway Plantation (we own a lot of those), and Marriott's Willow Ridge, all of those trade in II for Disney.  But that could change at any time. 

Disney deposits in II in the past (before DVC went to RCI) have been tough to get for certain seasons.  There are summer dates sitting online right now, but I don't go to Disney in summer.  I think fall will be very tough to get and will require a 2 bedroom to get a 1 bedroom, if Disney even gives II fall weeks.  Owners are having a tough time getting them.  January and May will be easy.


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## rickandcindy23 (Mar 30, 2022)

Blue Ridge Village also trades into Disney, but what a ridiculous price to pay for a Disney exchange with the fees + special assessment they are charging owners after Bluegreen took over.


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## Ski-Dad (Mar 30, 2022)

@rickandcindy23 advice is bang on.   I cannot speak to the ability to trade into DVC as I have not paid any attention.  Our kids are grown so that is no longer within our interests.

I can echo rickandcindy 23 on Sheraton Desert Oasis ("SDO").  I own three weeks there, although I have yet to visit Arizona.   It is a great trader.  Reasonable to buy and low MF, but trades well.

In 2022 I have traded my small 1 bedroom SDO units for:

Prime February ski week in a 2 bedroom the Sheraton Steamboat
May week in a 2 bedroom Marriott OceanWatch, Myrtle Beach
October week in a 3 bedroom at Marriott Surfwatch, Hilton Head


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## jojuvan (Mar 30, 2022)

Ski-Dad said:


> @rickandcindy23 advice is bang on.   I cannot speak to the ability to trade into DVC as I have not paid any attention.  Our kids are grown so that is no longer within our interests.
> 
> I can echo rickandcindy 23 on Sheraton Desert Oasis ("SDO").  I own three weeks there, although I have yet to visit Arizona.   It is a great trader.  Reasonable to buy and low MF, but trades well.
> 
> ...


Awesome!  There is one for sale.  Float weeks 28-35, 1 bedroom.  MF $900/year.   So this will get me 1 week trade to II, correct?  I could get a 1 br dvc with this at any week of the year, correct?  Based on availability?  And just 1 week, right?  No more than that?


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## rickandcindy23 (Mar 30, 2022)

jojuvan said:


> Awesome!  There is one for sale.  Float weeks 28-35, 1 bedroom.  MF $900/year.   So this will get me 1 week trade to II, correct?  I could get a 1 br dvc with this at any week of the year, correct?  Based on availability?  And just 1 week, right?  No more than that?


No, don't buy that one.  It's not prime season for Phoenix/ Scottsdale.  Buy a unit that floats 1-52.


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## jojuvan (Mar 30, 2022)

rickandcindy23 said:


> No, don't buy that one.  It's not prime season for Phoenix/ Scottsdale.  Buy a unit that floats 1-52.


Should I be looking for any sheraton unit that floats 1-52?  If it's weeks 28-35, would that not be good because of trading power?

There is a vistana fountains that says float weeks 23, floats weeks 5-35.  2 bedroom.  Is that one good?


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## dioxide45 (Mar 30, 2022)

jojuvan said:


> Should I be looking for any sheraton unit that floats 1-52?  If it's weeks 28-35, would that not be good because of trading power?
> 
> There is a vistana fountains that says float weeks 23, floats weeks 5-35.  2 bedroom.  Is that one good?


The trading power of a 28-35 week will be low. YOu want to be looking for a SDO week that is 1-52. Not any Vistana or Sheraton 1-52, but specifically a Sheraton Desert Oasis.

Sheraton Vistana Resort - Fountains may have issues down the road. In the past, DVC used to have regional blocks preventing other Orlando resorts from trading in. So there is a chance that Vistana Resort - Fountains won't work for trading into Disney.


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## Heartlandfamily (Mar 30, 2022)

jojuvan said:


> BONUS QUESTION:  How long will DVC be offered still in RCI?  I still see them popping up through July at this point.  Will they be available through 2023?
> Thank you!



When DVC announced the switch to RCI it stated booking through RCI was available through 2023 for already deposited points. No way to know how many weeks will actually show up in 2023 if any since the cutoff for deposits was Dec 31 2021.


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## amycurl (Mar 30, 2022)

I don't think you necessarily need a branded timeshare to trade into DVC. If you look at the sightings thread, many have seen the DVC deposits to date without a branded timeshare (like Blue Ridge Village, but that's not a good deal b/c of the special assessment.)


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## Heartlandfamily (Mar 30, 2022)

rickandcindy23 said:


> I don't own II points or Marriott points or Vistana points.  I do own floating weeks that I deposit into II and trade into Disney.  I trade Sheraton Broadway Plantation (mostly) for the best exchanges.  I have yet to trade into Disney since the change to II.  I don't want summer weeks. The two-bedroom SBP lockoffs in summer season are the best.  Vistana deposits a generic week with a combined trading power of what season you own.  We own floating weeks 9-43 and 47.  It doesn't matter if you own a week 9 or 43 or 27, the trading power is exactly the same.
> 
> Marriott resorts, I deposit prime summer weeks, which I reserve through Marriott for my season. We own Marriott's Willow Ridge in Branson. Great trading power for the lockoff units. I pay I think $90 extra for each week to "lock off" my unit for two sides of the lockoff and deposit each separately. Works great, but studios pull best with ongoing searches.
> 
> ...



Thanks for this info, I’ve been considering a 2 bedroom lock off at Willow Ridge but I am concerned about trading power. Have you traded with Willow Ridge for other prime locations? Like other MVC properties or Hyatt?


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## Ski-Dad (Mar 30, 2022)

dioxide45 said:


> The trading power of a 28-35 week will be low. YOu want to be looking for a SDO week that is 1-52. Not any Vistana or Sheraton 1-52, but specifically a Sheraton Desert Oasis.
> 
> Sheraton Vistana Resort - Fountains may have issues down the road. In the past, DVC used to have regional blocks preventing other Orlando resorts from trading in. So there is a chance that Vistana Resort - Fountains won't work for trading into Disney.




Agreed.  I have a two of the SDO 1-52 units and a platinum.   I forget the platinum weeks, but it is opposite of that 28-35 referenced above.   I do not recollect ever seeing much diff in trading power of my 1-52 vs platinum.   I remember trying to match them off one time.   Point being, the 1-52 seems to pull good trades in II.   If booking home weeks at SDO, the platinum shows the diffrence.


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## noreenkate (Apr 1, 2022)

I am very new to II but like others have said I deposited a unit from a smaller system the lock off side to a  2brd VV@ Williamsburg yesterday that we would not be using- it was able to see Saratoga Springs I bedroom for this fall- Sept-October...If I hadn't just taken an RCI Disney trip, I would have jumped on it, the unit was given to me through tug marketplace $1 with this years dues paid so my cost this year is minimal....Check the tug marketplace for II traders I looked for a 4 bedroom EOY lockoff- at a location that we would be happy to use at the home resort and lockout and bank to trade on the opposite years.


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## CPNY (Apr 1, 2022)

noreenkate said:


> I am very new to II but like others have said I deposited a unit from a smaller system the lock off side to a  2brd VV@ Williamsburg yesterday that we would not be using- it was able to see Saratoga Springs I bedroom for this fall- Sept-October...If I hadn't just taken an RCI Disney trip, I would have jumped on it, the unit was given to me through tug marketplace $1 with this years dues paid so my cost this year is minimal....Check the tug marketplace for II traders I looked for a 4 bedroom EOY lockoff- at a location that we would be happy to use at the home resort and lockout and bank to trade on the opposite years.


You picked up an annual or EOY?


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## noreenkate (Apr 1, 2022)

CPNY said:


> You picked up an annual or EOY?


EOYE- 4bdr lockout. I booked a week in august locked it off and deposited  the other side into II. The intention is to use the II week for 2023 in another location..
The EOY keeps the maintenance fees within reason for us...


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## CPNY (Apr 1, 2022)

noreenkate said:


> EOYE- 4bdr lockout. I booked a week in august locked it off and deposited  the other side into II. The intention is to use the II week for 2023 in another location..
> The EOY keeps the maintenance fees within reason for us...


That’s amazing! What week? I wish I was in top of that haha I would have been on it


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## noreenkate (Apr 1, 2022)

CPNY said:


> That’s amazing! What week? I wish I was in top of that haha I would have been on it



its a floating 1-52


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## bnoble (Apr 1, 2022)

I will be the naysayer: I think it is unwise to buy a week specifically for trading into DVC. Too many things can change including required trade power and even affiliation. Buying anything with the intention to trade into the same high-demand resort system/area regularly is a recipe for eventual disappointment.

If on the other hand you need more timeshares *and* you want to try II in general, that might make more sense.


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## Angel1123 (Apr 1, 2022)

Can you deposit a DVC studio week thru DVC and possibly pull a 1BR exchange thru II or is that not advisable. I’ve been spoiled with Club Wyndham deposits into DVC RCI exchanges. Own DVC and Wyndham. I love exchanging for my DVC stays and renting my DVC points for a win-win!


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## rickandcindy23 (Apr 1, 2022)

Angel1123 said:


> Can you deposit a DVC studio week thru DVC and possibly pull a 1BR exchange thru II or is that not advisable. I’ve been spoiled with Club Wyndham deposits into DVC RCI exchanges. Own DVC and Wyndham. I love exchanging for my DVC stays and renting my DVC points for a win-win!


I don't know why you would want to try that.  Wyndham worked for Disney.  I think II is still an unknown for most deposits.  Don't buy something just to trade.  Anything can happen in the future.  

Yes, Blue Ridge Village does work, but who wants those MF's? It's not worth it, unless I can get a 2 bedroom for a 2 bedroom. No 2 bedrooms so far on II. Not a single one showing.

By the way, Marriott's Willow Ridge are 2 bedrooms and you pay a fee to reserve a lockoff unit.  I think the fee is $90.  You cannot buy a lockoff unit, only a two bedroom.  It's worked okay in the past.  We are never guaranteed the ability to do that.  After all, the resort has mostly 2 bedrooms, not one bedrooms/ studios.  

Also, yes, I have used WR for Marriott's Ko Olina and Marriott's Maui Ocean Club.  I haven't been working very hard at it.  I like my Marriott preference for Newport Coast and just traded in for 6/3 with my last one bedroom at WR.  That is a gem of an exchange.


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## noreenkate (Apr 1, 2022)

Angel1123 said:


> Can you deposit a DVC studio week thru DVC and possibly pull a 1BR exchange thru II or is that not advisable. I’ve been spoiled with Club Wyndham deposits into DVC RCI exchanges. Own DVC and Wyndham. I love exchanging for my DVC stays and renting my DVC points for a win-win!



DVC is a points based system so unless something has drastically changed an owner deposits a specific amount of points not a particular size unit... with to be honest I haven't really paid attention as I have never had enough DVC left over points to deposit _ever _lol I am always borrowing...


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## dioxide45 (Apr 1, 2022)

Angel1123 said:


> Can you deposit a DVC studio week thru DVC and possibly pull a 1BR exchange thru II or is that not advisable. I’ve been spoiled with Club Wyndham deposits into DVC RCI exchanges. Own DVC and Wyndham. I love exchanging for my DVC stays and renting my DVC points for a win-win!


As a DVC owner, you can't use your DVC points to trade back in to DVC.


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## jenmcnitt (Aug 12, 2022)

jojuvan said:


> We have owned a nice Wyndham resale contract for about 2 years.  A big selling point for that was being able to exchange into RCI for DVC.  Now that DVC is partnering with II, we are wanting to purchase another resale contact that will allow us to exchange into Interval.  So my questions are:
> 
> 1.  What would be the cheapest way to join Interval? (Marriott, Vistana, Welk...etc.)?
> 
> ...



I have a similar question.  What did you end up deciding to do?


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## jojuvan (Aug 12, 2022)

jenmcnitt said:


> I have a similar question.  What did you end up deciding to do?


Nothing as of yet. I did lots of research on interval and I left even more confused on how to get a resale contract that is of enough value to trade in for dvc. In the meantime I'm still seeing dvc availability though January 2023 in rci, so I'm hoping there will be some in March when we are looking to go!


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## rmclain73 (Aug 17, 2022)

jojuvan said:


> Nothing as of yet. I did lots of research on interval and I left even more confused on how to get a resale contract that is of enough value to trade in for dvc. In the meantime I'm still seeing dvc availability though January 2023 in rci, so I'm hoping there will be some in March when we are looking to go!




Why not just buy resale DVC points?  Why go through the hassle of having to trade and worry about what happens in the future between II and DVC?


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## jojuvan (Aug 17, 2022)

rmclain73 said:


> Why not just buy resale DVC points?  Why go through the hassle of having to trade and worry about what happens in the future between II and DVC?


COST!  DVC resale is very expensive.  you can get a nice timeshare package for a few hundred or less resale.


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## rmclain73 (Aug 17, 2022)

jojuvan said:


> COST!  DVC resale is very expensive.  you can get a nice timeshare package for a few hundred or less resale.



Have you looked into any Marriott resales in the Orlando area?  You would not be able to trade into DVC because of the regional block, but you would still be able to trade to other Marriott's while owning in Orlando close to Disney.


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## jojuvan (Aug 17, 2022)

rmclain73 said:


> Have you looked into any Marriott resales in the Orlando area?  You would not be able to trade into DVC because of the regional block, but you would still be able to trade to other Marriott's while owning in Orlando close to Disney.


We own Wyndham points so we often will stay at Bonnet Creek using those.  Staying in Orlando is fine, but we were spoiled with the ability to trade into RCI for a 1 bedroom DVC for a small about of Wyndham points.  I'm looking for a cost effective way to continue to trade for DVC.  The Interval system and resorts seems much more confusing than Wyndham and RCI!


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## rickandcindy23 (Aug 17, 2022)

For booking Disney, you can buy a summer season SBP or a 1-52 SDO and get the Disney resorts.  That's working FOR NOW.  But honestly, don't work too hard at getting something to trade into Disney because things do change with trading power.  

What I want is some more 2 bedrooms at SBP, 9-43 and 47.


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## rmclain73 (Aug 17, 2022)

jojuvan said:


> I'm looking for a cost effective way to continue to trade for DVC



Cost effective and Disney are two things that no longer go hand in hand.


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## dmbrand (Aug 17, 2022)

I was able to make an exchange into a 2bd at Disney Saratoga Springs for Jan 2023, this morning. First time for us here; haven’t been to a Disney park since 2010. Does anyone know if there is a restriction on getting another unit using a second deposit? There is another 2bd for the same week, and I might see if the whole family wants to go.


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## bnoble (Aug 17, 2022)

dmbrand said:


> Does anyone know if there is a restriction on getting another unit using a second deposit?


Disney does not have any 1-in-N restrictions in II (nor did it with RCI). However, the lead guests on any unit(s) that overlap have to be different.


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## HudsHut (Aug 17, 2022)

@jojuvan
Where do you live? east coast, west coast? midwest?


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## mdurette (Aug 17, 2022)

jojuvan said:


> COST!  DVC resale is very expensive.  you can get a nice timeshare package for a few hundred or less resale.




Agreed - I have been able to go to DW exchanging in II and RCI with my non branded weeks that cost me pennies to purchase and a fraction of ownership cost.   If I can't get secure the week I want every now and then, no big thing, I'm more than happy to take an Orlando Marriott as exchange or usually getaway.


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## mdurette (Aug 17, 2022)

rmclain73 said:


> Cost effective and Disney are two things that no longer go hand in hand.



True -but exchanging into DVC is by far a great savings.


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## mdurette (Aug 17, 2022)

dmbrand said:


> I was able to make an exchange into a 2bd at Disney Saratoga Springs for Jan 2023, this morning. First time for us here; haven’t been to a Disney park since 2010. Does anyone know if there is a restriction on getting another unit using a second deposit? There is another 2bd for the same week, and I might see if the whole family wants to go.
> [/QUOT
> 
> Should not be an issue - you would just need to add a guest cert.


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## needhelp (Sep 20, 2022)

jojuvan said:


> We own Wyndham points so we often will stay at Bonnet Creek using those.  Staying in Orlando is fine, but we were spoiled with the ability to trade into RCI for a 1 bedroom DVC for a small about of Wyndham points.  I'm looking for a cost effective way to continue to trade for DVC.  The Interval system and resorts seems much more confusing than Wyndham and RCI!


I have not ever gotten a Wyndham RCI DVC exchange, but maybe it's because I need a 2 bedroom in the summer


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## ScoopKona (Sep 20, 2022)

jojuvan said:


> Nothing as of yet. I did lots of research on interval and I left even more confused on how to get a resale contract that is of enough value to trade in for dvc. In the meantime I'm still seeing dvc availability though January 2023 in rci, so I'm hoping there will be some in March when we are looking to go!



Buy a Hyatt bronze week, and you'll have enough points to get a two bedroom anywhere in Interval. It's worked like that for decades. If you want to buy something to trade in Interval, that's the route to go.


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## escanoe (Sep 20, 2022)

I would absolutely not buy a trader exclusively to trade into DVC … especially for 2BR usage.

There were years that little to no 2BRs were available in RCI.

It is too odd of a time in timeshare exchanging to buy traders based only on what trades have looked like in 2022. 



ScoopKona said:


> Buy a Hyatt bronze week, and you'll have enough points to get a two bedroom anywhere in Interval. It's worked like that for decades. If you want to buy something to trade in Interval, that's the route to go.


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## ScoopKona (Sep 21, 2022)

escanoe said:


> I would absolutely not buy a trader exclusively to trade into DVC … especially for 2BR usage.
> 
> There were years that little to no 2BRs were available in RCI.
> 
> It is too odd of a time in timeshare exchanging to buy traders based only on what trades have looked like in 2022.



I see DVC inventory all the time. Hyatt is a solid Interval trader. And a Bronze Hyatt week gets any 2bd. Or a 1bd and a studio. Or three studios.

Hyatt doesn't work like other timeshare system. It just doesn't.


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## bnoble (Sep 21, 2022)

Any points-based system can pull anything in II--it's just a question of how many points. The same was true in RCI. But, the more important point is that you can't exchange for something that is never deposited. DVC owners do not reserve and deposit specific weeks, only generic points. DVC's management company then has the freedom to choose what gets deposited when. DVC never deposited 2BRs into RCI for several years in a row*. The pump-priming deposits in II were all SSR 1BRs with Friday check-ins for three or four months solid, from June through September.

However, _so far_, it looks like they are depositing _some_ 2BRs into II for _some_ low-demand weeks at low-demand resorts. Will that continue? Who knows. If you need a 2BR and are able to be very very flexible about when you go, you've got a fighting chance. But, there's also a chance DVC's deposit pattern reverts to what it was with RCI, and the 2BRs disappear.

I've been exchanging into DVC for a long time now, dating back to the last time they were with II in the mid-00's. I don't think I've gone more than two years in a row using the same strategy. If you only have one strategy, that's going to get awkward quickly. And that's why I stand by the advice I have up-thread, which was:


bnoble said:


> Buying anything with the intention to trade into the same high-demand resort system/area regularly is a recipe for eventual disappointment.
> 
> If on the other hand you need more timeshares *and* you want to try II in general, that might make more sense.



--------------------
*: Yes I know about Welk.. That was some side arrangement that no one else had access to.


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## escanoe (Sep 21, 2022)

ScoopKona said:


> I see DVC inventory all the time. Hyatt is a solid Interval trader. And a Bronze Hyatt week gets any 2bd. Or a 1bd and a studio. Or three studios.
> 
> Hyatt doesn't work like other timeshare system. It just doesn't.



You can have the best trader on Earth and if DVC is not depositing 2BRs into II, you are not going to have a trade match for one. It is only in recent times (maybe a 1-year period in this odd time) that DVC 2 BRs have been showing up on II or RCI for exchange.


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## bnoble (Sep 21, 2022)

bnoble said:


> Any points-based system can pull anything in II-


It occurs to me that this is less true in II than it was in RCI because of resort-system preference. For example, a points-based trader might have a hard time in some high-season/high-demand Marriott resorts unless it also has Marriott preference.


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## ScoopKona (Sep 21, 2022)

escanoe said:


> You can have the best trader on Earth and if DVC is not depositing 2BRs into II, you are not going to have a trade match for one. It is only in recent times (maybe a 1-year period in this odd time) that DVC 2 BRs have been showing up on II or RCI for exchange.



Of course that's the case. But if I recall correctly, OP wants 1bd, anyway. The point is that a 1300 Hyatt week will get anything up to a 2 bedroom. And if trading down in size, multiple weeks each year. If she gets a 1bd Disney Week, she'll have enough left over for a studio week elsewhere. Or if Disney doesn't pan out, she has enough for three studio weeks or a single 2bd. 

I can't think of more flexibility for less price. Bronze weeks are basically being given away.


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## 5finny (Sep 21, 2022)

ScoopKona said:


> Of course that's the case. But if I recall correctly, OP wants 1bd, anyway. The point is that a 1300 Hyatt week will get anything up to a 2 bedroom. And if trading down in size, multiple weeks each year. If she gets a 1bd Disney Week, she'll have enough left over for a studio week elsewhere. Or if Disney doesn't pan out, she has enough for three studio weeks or a single 2bd.
> 
> I can't think of more flexibility for less price. Bronze weeks are basically being given away.



Not familiar with the Hyatt system
Are the MTN FEES on a Bronze week the same as the MTN FEES on a Plat or Diamond week?


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## ScoopKona (Sep 21, 2022)

5finny said:


> Not familiar with the Hyatt system
> Are the MTN FEES on a Bronze week the same as the MTN FEES on a Plat or Diamond week?



Yes. So from an overall cost standpoint it is better to buy a higher-point week. 

But it really depends on what OP wants -- if she really just wants to travel one week a year, then a bronze week is all she needs. She'll be able to get two weeks out of it every single year if she plays her cards right.

If she has a Diamond week, she can get at least two weeks from Interval, and as many as _eight_. (But to be fair, eight means eight low-demand studios. Not bloody likely.) I get three weeks most years, and I own a Gold week. (1880 points.)

It is the most complicated of the timeshare systems. But it is also the most "time for your maintenance fee." And they are powerhouse traders. I'm used to getting what I want. I don't count on it -- no timeshare exchanger should EVER count on anything. But roughly 80% of the time, I get the week I want, where I want. And the other times? I get something I like -- so no worries there.

Will that continue with DVC going forward? No idea. If I had a crystal ball, I wouldn't be using it to make timeshare exchange predictions. But it has worked very well for the 20 years that I have owned one.


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## tahoeJoe (Sep 22, 2022)

bnoble said:


> I will be the naysayer: I think it is unwise to buy a week specifically for trading into DVC. Too many things can change including required trade power and even affiliation. Buying anything with the intention to trade into the same high-demand resort system/area regularly is a recipe for eventual disappointment.



I completely agree.


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## ScoopKona (Sep 22, 2022)

tahoeJoe said:


> I completely agree.



What about all of us who bought our timeshare _just_ to trade? I bought a week in my home town. I'll never, ever, ever stay in it. When I go home, I have better options.

I bought it just so I could trade it. I just looked Disney up. There are half a dozen weeks available right now. Maybe one of those weeks works for the OP. Maybe it doesn't. But there is inventory.

If all the inventory dries up, and timesharing no longer works for her, just sell the week for roughly what she paid for it and walk away. The good timeshare systems retain SOME value, even if they aren't anywhere near what they sold for originally.

We don't have to use these things the same way. My only question about a week at any Disney resort would be "is this the third, fourth or fifth circle of hell?" Not for me. But popular with others.

There are Key West Bronze weeks being sold for less than $2K. This is not much of a gamble. It works now. It's worked in the past. It will probably continue to work in the future. And if it doesn't, so what? It's just a time share. Get rid of it and try something else.


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## bnoble (Sep 22, 2022)

There is "just to trade" and "just to trade for this one, specific thing."

I'm not a huge fan of the former, even though about 40% of my portfolio is exactly "just to trade". In particular, I would dissuade someone brand new to timesharing from buying just to trade. Even in just the 15 years I've owned, the third party exchange landscape has changed significantly, and generally not in favor of the individual trader.

But I have seen people try to do the latter over and over again. It never seems to end well. For example, those of us of a certain "timeshare age" remember the "winter SW Florida" threads (though those threads might have been Over Yonder). There were also a number of people who were buying things to trade in RCI for DVC exchanges, almost right up to the day DVC moved to II. In fact, I remember saying _buyer beware_ in one such thread, literally weeks-to-months before the change.

TL;DR: It can be a good idea to buy a strong trader for a particular exchange in general. That strong trader can be used for specific things, often with good success for many years. Buying only for those specific things? Much more of a risk.


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## ScoopKona (Sep 22, 2022)

bnoble said:


> TL;DR: It can be a good idea to buy a strong trader for a particular exchange in general. That strong trader can be used for specific things, often with good success for many years. Buying only for those specific things? Much more of a risk.



What risk? We're talking about $2,000. Roughly $2,500 all-in with closing costs. A week at Disneyworld already costs more than that. And OP would be able to grab two DVC weeks right now -- a 1bd and a studio. 

And if someday down the road, it no longer trades like that, it will sell for around $2,000. 

I'm not suggesting that she buy some week in South Africa -- as was a popular solution years ago. It's a known quantity which has worked the same way for decades now.


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## jenmcnitt (Sep 26, 2022)

ScoopKona said:


> What risk? We're talking about $2,000. Roughly $2,500 all-in with closing costs. A week at Disneyworld already costs more than that. And OP would be able to grab two DVC weeks right now -- a 1bd and a studio.
> 
> And if someday down the road, it no longer trades like that, it will sell for around $2,000.
> 
> I'm not suggesting that she buy some week in South Africa -- as was a popular solution years ago. It's a known quantity which has worked the same way for decades now.



I would also consider what the yearly maintenance fees would be.   

I did an experiment this year and stayed a few days at a DVC resort and a few days at a non-DVC resort.   Other than the free bus to and from the resort, for my needs I found the stays fairly similar.  The non-DVC resort rooms were actually a bit bigger.   

I did not take advantage of any park hours though due to my schedule.  My trade to the non-DVC resort was much less expensive for me overall.

I do acknowledge that there are some perks for staying at a DVC resort that may lean people that direction even if the cost is higher.


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## ScoopKona (Sep 26, 2022)

jenmcnitt said:


> I would also consider what the yearly maintenance fees would be.
> 
> I did an experiment this year and stayed a few days at a DVC resort and a few days at a non-DVC resort.   Other than the free bus to and from the resort, for my needs I found the stays fairly similar.  The non-DVC resort rooms were actually a bit bigger.
> 
> ...



MFs are $1500 per year. That's to get at least two weeks per year out of it. Possibly three. With a better, more expensive week, it would be "at least two weeks per year, and possibly eight" out of one maintenance fee.

A lot of people who go to Disney want to stay at Disney. I don't care for the place at all. But if she wants to buy a trader for DVC, that's her best bet.


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