# Articcle: Why I purchased DVC direct AND resale



## TravelTime (May 10, 2019)

https://dvcfan.com/2019/05/10/why-i...mail&utm_term=0_01606ee371-f97bff00de-9552973

This writer talks about his strategy and rationale as to why he purchased a combination of direct and resale points. I also own a combination for the reasons he mentioned.

Ironically, I have had 2 resale contracts with foreign sellers. One was for Marriott DPs and the other was for Grand Floridian. In both of those cases, I got a great price. The explanation given by this writer might be why.


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## IuLiKa (May 10, 2019)

Thank you for the article, I am also considering buying a DVC resale, and this board has been extremely useful to me. The only issue that I am still trying to learn is the "use year" it is a little confusing for me right now. 
I am a Marriott owner, and I would like to add couple of days at Aulani so I can add it to my vacation when I go to the Marriott at KoOlina.


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## rickandcindy23 (May 10, 2019)

The value of DVC doesn't go down as much as other timeshares.  It's a worthwhile purchase to get discounts for a family of four or more.  

Buying retail doesn't really keep up with inflation, as some people claim.  But if you use it every year, $14,100 for 75 points at Wilderness is something I have considered myself.  It's my favorite Disney resort.  Second favorite is AKL.  I would bet you cannot get 75 points anymore.  I read somewhere that the minimum was back up to 160 points.  That is a much bigger investment.


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## TheHolleys87 (May 11, 2019)

rickandcindy23 said:


> The value of DVC doesn't go down as much as other timeshares.  It's a worthwhile purchase to get discounts for a family of four or more.
> 
> Buying retail doesn't really keep up with inflation, as some people claim.  But if you use it every year, $14,100 for 75 points at Wilderness is something I have considered myself.  It's my favorite Disney resort.  Second favorite is AKL.  I would bet you cannot get 75 points anymore.  I read somewhere that the minimum was back up to 160 points.  That is a much bigger investment.



The minimum for new members is now 100 points except at Old Key West (50), Hilton Head (75), Saratoga Springs (50) and Vero Beach (75). Current members can add on as little as 25 points except at Copper Creek and Riviera, where minimum is 50. So people can still buy “just enough for a few nights in a studio” and then complain they can’t get a reservation during popular times because they’re competing against all the other small-contract owners.


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## icydog (May 11, 2019)

TheHolleys87 said:


> The minimum for new members is now 100 points except at Old Key West (50), Hilton Head (75), Saratoga Springs (50) and Vero Beach (75). Current members can add on as little as 25 points except at Copper Creek and Riviera, where minimum is 50. So people can still buy “just enough for a few nights in a studio” and then complain they can’t get a reservation during popular times because they’re competing against all the other small-contract owners.


I bought a 25 point okw contract from Disney two years ago for the reasons mentioned above. However, I believe the minimum Retail contracts, to get the Disney Vacation Club perks, is now 75 points.


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## Dean (May 12, 2019)

TheHolleys87 said:


> The minimum for new members is now 100 points except at Old Key West (50), Hilton Head (75), Saratoga Springs (50) and Vero Beach (75). Current members can add on as little as 25 points except at Copper Creek and Riviera, where minimum is 50. So people can still buy “just enough for a few nights in a studio” and then complain they can’t get a reservation during popular times because they’re competing against all the other small-contract owners.


They've been known to make lots of exceptions on the minimum's over the past few years including less than 100 at Boulder Ridge.  I've seen reports recently where they have done so.


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## TheHolleys87 (May 12, 2019)

icydog said:


> I bought a 25 point okw contract from Disney two years ago for the reasons mentioned above. However, I believe the minimum Retail contracts, to get the Disney Vacation Club perks, is now 75 points.



Yes, to get “blue card” benefits requires the member to maintain a minimum ownership of 75 points that were purchased directly from DVD.



Dean said:


> They've been known to make lots of exceptions on the minimum's over the past few years including less than 100 at Boulder Ridge.  I've seen reports recently where they have done so.



Yes, I know that. I was responding to the statement that the minimum was back up to 160 points. 

The minimum point levels for initial purchases and for add-ons, not to mention to qualify for perks & benefits, has been fluid the last few years!


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## chalee94 (May 13, 2019)

IuLiKa said:


> The only issue that I am still trying to learn is the "use year" it is a little confusing for me right now.



Use year is about when you use your pts for stays. It has nothing to do with when you call or go online to book a stay.

I have an Oct UY. I like to travel to wdw in Nov/Dec, so I have a good UY for me. My UY starts on Oct 1 and it's ideal to travel early in your UY. I don't like to travel to wdw in the summer. July/August/Sept stays would be very risky for someone with an Oct UY - if I had to cancel a stay in August, I would likely be past my banking window (which closes on May 31 in the calendar year after my UY begins) and I would risk losing points.

This is a good thread to bookmark for reference:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/understanding-use-year-updated-march-10-2019.1942668/


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## chriskre (May 13, 2019)

I bought both contracts direct and looks like I can sell them both for more than I paid.
I've owned for a while now and Disney gave me a rebate, extra points and no closing 
costs, so I actually paid less than the asking price with the incentives.  
I like having the cruise option available even though I haven't done it yet.
I'm sure I'll be using it at least once in the future.


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## IuLiKa (May 14, 2019)

Thank you for the DISboards link on UY. I will try to educate myself. It will be best to travel in the summer because of school brake.  As the kid grows will be harder to pull him away from school in the low season. 
Thinking to get about 160-200 points; I do not think I will be buying direct maybe couple of years from now. I will also read on the benefits of blue card, however I have a AP at Disneyland where I get some of the discounts.


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## kanerf (May 15, 2019)

I have 315 points at 3 different resorts, but only 50 direct.  I purchased before the 75 point requirement, so I still get all the bennies.  I am seriously considering a small add-on to Riviera though.  I expect that this will be a great place eventually and the Skyliner will make it a choice spot.  Of course it depends on how that works out.  I will do the tour this weekend (1 day until arrival, whee!) and talk to them about cost and such.  I have seen a cost chart, but still want to discuss.


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## chalee94 (May 15, 2019)

kanerf said:


> I have 315 points at 3 different resorts, but only 50 direct.  I purchased before the 75 point requirement, so I still get all the bennies.  I am seriously considering a small add-on to Riviera though.  I expect that this will be a great place eventually and the Skyliner will make it a choice spot.  Of course it depends on how that works out.  I will do the tour this weekend (1 day until arrival, whee!) and talk to them about cost and such.  I have seen a cost chart, but still want to discuss.



Personally, I would never buy Riviera direct because of the recent changes to the resale rules. I do expect Riviera to take more of a hit on resale value. But as long as you know the risks and want to roll the dice on it, feel free.


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## Duketime (Nov 4, 2019)

I am a neophyte to this timeshare stuff - I own a fixed week but I do not understand “points”... what does buying a minimum of 100 points at DVC mean ? Is that good for 7 nights ? How do I know what it means ? 
Can I buy Disney weeks straight out or only points ? 
Can I buy resale without restrictions ?
Thanks all !


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## rickandcindy23 (Nov 4, 2019)

You can look at point charts online.  A studio at Disney's Old Key West can be as little as 78 points for 7 nights.  One bedrooms are almost 2X that price, but they are twice the size.   

The newer resorts require more points.  I have no idea why they chose to increase the points because when people have a small number of points, they will use the ones that are older and require less points.  Boardwalk Villas is an amazing place to stay, right by Epcot, and it's pretty inexpensive to book and stay there.


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## TheHolleys87 (Nov 4, 2019)

Duketime said:


> I am a neophyte to this timeshare stuff - I own a fixed week but I do not understand “points”... what does buying a minimum of 100 points at DVC mean ? Is that good for 7 nights ? How do I know what it means ?
> Can I buy Disney weeks straight out or only points ?
> Can I buy resale without restrictions ?
> Thanks all !



Well, I tried to answer a lot of your questions but accidentally deleted it! Can I just say “it’s complicated”? To add to what rickandcindy23 stated, our 300 BWV points gets us a preferred view 2-bedroom villa there for Thanksgiving week (well, it used to) but only buys a standard view 1-bedroom at Grand Floridian for the same week. DVC is a deeded RTU contract that is valued in points, and each resort has its own point chart and expiration date. Disney recently implemented resale restrictions related to the new Riviera resort. Resale buyers at the “legacy 14” resorts can’t use those points at Riviera or any future resorts, and buyers of resale Riviera points can’t use those points anywhere but at Riviera. 

You might find it useful to read the DIS boards re Purchasing DVC (https://www.disboards.com/forums/purchasing-dvc.28/), particularly the Information thread at https://www.disboards.com/threads/the-dvc-resource-center-updated-april-2019.3655476/.


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## chalee94 (Nov 5, 2019)

Duketime said:


> I am a neophyte to this timeshare stuff - I own a fixed week but I do not understand “points”... what does buying a minimum of 100 points at DVC mean ? Is that good for 7 nights ? How do I know what it means ?
> Can I buy Disney weeks straight out or only points ?
> Can I buy resale without restrictions ?
> Thanks all !



There is a learning curve - the DVC resource center link is a great place to start.

Points are used to pay for stays. They renew every "use year" until the expiration of your contract. The DVC resource center has a list of point charts for the different resorts. So if you owned a 200 pt contract at BWV, you could book 2 weeknights in Dream season in a 3BR Grand Villa (93 pts per night) or go small and book a standard view studio for 20 weeknights in Adventure or Choice seasons (10 pts per night) during that same UY.

Your points have an 11 month booking window at that home resort. (To book standard view studios at BWV, you would definitely need to book right at 11 months during parts of the year to get what you want. If you purchased a SSR contract to go with your BWV contract, the SSR points would not have access to booking BWV until the 7 month window.) At this time, a point is a point at 7 months out - if there is availability anywhere in the DVC system (including Hilton Head, Oahu, Disneyland and Vero Beach), you can book it. Certain times of year (fall at WDW) and certain room types (cheaper studios especially) book up very early, so understand that it can be competitive.

A very few DVC resorts have fixed weeks (they sell for a premium but can be converted to points to use more flexibly) but 98% of DVC contracts are for points.

No, you cannot buy resale without restrictions. And be aware that the current DVC executives have shown signs of following other timeshares' lead in sketchy business practices... For nearly 30 years, the point charts at each resort have been fixed. Points could be reallocated between weekends and weeknights but not increase willy nilly. Last year, the DVC execs put out new point charts that increased studios and 1BRs across the board (due to a "lock off premium" language in the contracts, which had never been interpreted that way in the past). After complaints and threats of lawsuits, they backed down but may still be looking to pull similar shenanigans. As a result, I am much more careful in recommending DVC than I used to be...


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## TheHolleys87 (Nov 5, 2019)

chalee94 said:


> And be aware that the current DVC executives have shown signs of following other timeshares' lead in sketchy business practices... For nearly 30 years, the point charts at each resort have been fixed. Points could be reallocated between weekends and weeknights but not increase willy nilly. Last year, the DVC execs put out new point charts that increased studios and 1BRs across the board (due to a "lock off premium" language in the contracts, which had never been interpreted that way in the past). After complaints and threats of lawsuits, they backed down but may still be looking to pull similar shenanigans. As a result, I am much more careful in recommending DVC than I used to be...



Charles is entirely correct!


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## CPNY (Nov 11, 2019)

chalee94 said:


> There is a learning curve - the DVC resource center link is a great place to start.
> 
> Points are used to pay for stays. They renew every "use year" until the expiration of your contract. The DVC resource center has a list of point charts for the different resorts. So if you owned a 200 pt contract at BWV, you could book 2 weeknights in Dream season in a 3BR Grand Villa (93 pts per night) or go small and book a standard view studio for 20 weeknights in Adventure or Choice seasons (10 pts per night) during that same UY.
> 
> ...


That’s a bit scary. I’ve been thinking of riviera resale as that would be the resort I’d most want to stay at. Then again, I may want to stay at GF on occasion. I’m wondering if a small contract direct would be best. An information rep at a kiosk inside the park said “owners who book 11 months out can get FP 11 months out when they book” is that true? When do owners get to book fast passes? Same 60 days as regular hotel guests?


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## TheHolleys87 (Nov 12, 2019)

CPNY said:


> That’s a bit scary. I’ve been thinking of riviera resale as that would be the resort I’d most want to stay at. Then again, I may want to stay at GF on occasion. I’m wondering if a small contract direct would be best. An information rep at a kiosk inside the park said “owners who book 11 months out can get FP 11 months out when they book” is that true? When do owners get to book fast passes? Same 60 days as regular hotel guests?



That information rep was spreading exceedingly false information!  DVC owners book FPs at 60 days, same as all other Disney resort guests.  All we get at 11 months out is the right to book at our home resort.

Be aware that some categories of rooms are so popular and in such short supply that they book up within minutes if not seconds after the 11-month window opens.  Given that there are only 24 of the Riviera's Tower Studios, it's widely expected that they will fall into that category, so I would not recommend buying so few points that you don't have enough to book anything else.  In fact, studios in general are so highly sought after (for a variety of reasons) that I'd suggest looking at buying enough points for a 1-bedroom at whichever resort you choose, because they are (currently) easier to book.

And be sure to compare the cost of the necessary Riviera points bought direct or resale with the cost of resale points at BWV or BCV, both of which are walking distance to Epcot and the Studios as well as the boats and Skyliner that will get you to the Studios and will allow you to book GF (if you buy enough points - we spent one week in a standard view 1-BR at GF in February 2018 and it cost more BWV points than a Boardwalk view TWO-bedroom at Thanksgiving).

Finally, the 2021 points charts are expected out at the end of December or early January at the latest.  You might want to wait for them before deciding how many points to buy - DVC tried to make significant changes (increasing costs of studios and 1-bedroom villas) to the 2020 points charts last year, was forced to retreat and reissue charts basically identical to 2019, and is expected to try again with 2021 charts.


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## CPNY (Nov 12, 2019)

TheHolleys87 said:


> That information rep was spreading exceedingly false information!  DVC owners book FPs at 60 days, same as all other Disney resort guests.  All we get at 11 months out is the right to book at our home resort.
> 
> Be aware that some categories of rooms are so popular and in such short supply that they book up within minutes if not seconds after the 11-month window opens.  Given that there are only 24 of the Riviera's Tower Studios, it's widely expected that they will fall into that category, so I would not recommend buying so few points that you don't have enough to book anything else.  In fact, studios in general are so highly sought after (for a variety of reasons) that I'd suggest looking at buying enough points for a 1-bedroom at whichever resort you choose, because they are (currently) easier to book.
> 
> ...


Excellent info. Thank you! I will def wait to see what the resale restrictions DVC places on resale contracts with RR does to the price on the resale market. I’d assume it would be extremely low compared to other point contracts


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## pedro47 (Nov 13, 2019)

Good information by the OP, purchase the lowest number of required DVC points and then acquired resale point. Excellent strategy.


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## Dean (Nov 13, 2019)

pedro47 said:


> Good information by the OP, purchase the lowest number of required DVC points and then acquired resale point. Excellent strategy.


Only if one would make up the difference in cost with the pass discounts in a reasonable amount of time, I'd say 7 years would be my cutoff as you don't know what will happen to that option long term as it's not guaranteed.  At 100 pt minimum to get the perks that's a lot to makeup.


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## Finsadbel (Nov 26, 2019)

We have been throwing the idea of purchasing DVC for years and have yet to make the big purchase. We are currently members of the HGVC system and have enjoyed it. 

Reading over the posts in this forum brings up a few questions. If you own 2 different resorts, can the points be shared between them? Say you purchased 150 points at VGF need an additional 50-100 points. Can you pull from your other contract if they are under the same name? How about if you have 1 direct and 1 resell?

Im thinking probably not, but it never hurts to ask!


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## chalee94 (Nov 27, 2019)

Finsadbel said:


> If you own 2 different resorts, can the points be shared between them? Say you purchased 150 points at VGF need an additional 50-100 points. Can you pull from your other contract if they are under the same name? How about if you have 1 direct and 1 resell?



If you have both contracts under the same UY and titled with the same owner(s), you can pool the points at 7 months out (subject to availability).

If you buy 150 VGF pts and are trying to book VGF at 11 months out, you can only use VGF pts to book that stay. Any SSR or other resort points will stay on the sideline until the 7 month window. It is the points themselves that really have the "home resort priority" and not you as an individual. (It would definitely cheat owners at VGF if someone could own 25 pts at VGF and use a 1000 pt SSR contract at VGF at 11 months out.)

If you have both contracts under different UYs or titled with different combinations of owners, you are essentially treated as 2 separate owners and cannot combine points from different contracts without transferring pts (and that would still be only at 7 months out). You can book 3 nights at VGF with the VGF contract at 11 months out and then try for 2 nights at VGF at the 7 month window with the non-VGF contract and ask Member Services to link the reservations so that you can stay in the same villa.

Direct or resale makes no difference for booking at this point.


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## Finsadbel (Nov 27, 2019)

Makes sense. I saw this as a way to get around the new 2019 rules. Thanks!


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## CPNY (Jan 22, 2020)

Finsadbel said:


> We have been throwing the idea of purchasing DVC for years and have yet to make the big purchase. We are currently members of the HGVC system and have enjoyed it.
> 
> Reading over the posts in this forum brings up a few questions. If you own 2 different resorts, can the points be shared between them? Say you purchased 150 points at VGF need an additional 50-100 points. Can you pull from your other contract if they are under the same name? How about if you have 1 direct and 1 resell?
> 
> Im thinking probably not, but it never hurts to ask!


Being that you own HGVC, have you tried exchanging in RCI for DVC inventory? Trying to figure if I should buy into DVC or pick up a trader unit that I can try and get DVC availability


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## Finsadbel (Jan 23, 2020)

From reading others posts, some have been successful and some haven’t. From what I gather from conversations with RCI that I’ve had and from posts here, is its difficult and you have to be super flexible on dates if you expect to be able to trade into Disney. 

Personally, our family plans travels sometimes 2 years out. This makes it difficult to be flexible on dates as we are usually traveling for a specific season at Disney or around school schedules. 

I’ve called a few times and always watch what availability that pops up on the sightings board, but as far as RCI trades go- probably won’t ever be that lucky.


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## CPNY (Jan 23, 2020)

Finsadbel said:


> From reading others posts, some have been successful and some haven’t. From what I gather from conversations with RCI that I’ve had and from posts here, is its difficult and you have to be super flexible on dates if you expect to be able to trade into Disney.
> 
> Personally, our family plans travels sometimes 2 years out. This makes it difficult to be flexible on dates as we are usually traveling for a specific season at Disney or around school schedules.
> 
> I’ve called a few times and always watch what availability that pops up on the sightings board, but as far as RCI trades go- probably won’t ever be that lucky.


Yeah maybe I’ll look to buy a small contract and go every 2-3 years, just keep banking the points.


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## elaine (Jan 23, 2020)

Another bonus when buying a small contract is that you can also get points transferred from another owner for when you need more points and then "own" and control those points. You only get one in/out transfer a year. I have done it before from disboard rent/trade board and it worked great.   Of course, you pay similar to rental fees, but then you can cancel, rebook, etc. just like your original points. They retain use year and home resort of the person who transferred, I think. I have done this when I wanted home resort 11 month booking at a resort different than mine.


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## CPNY (Jan 23, 2020)

elaine said:


> Another bonus when buying a small contract is that you can also get points transferred from another owner for when you need more points and then "own" and control those points. You only get one in/out transfer a year. I have done it before from disboard rent/trade board and it worked great.   Of course, you pay similar to rental fees, but then you can cancel, rebook, etc. just like your original points. They retain use year and home resort of the person who transferred, I think. I have done this when I wanted home resort 11 month booking at a resort different than mine.


So I can buy a small contract like a 50 or 75 point contract then just rent 100 points? Do I have to use them in the year I rent them or will I be able to bank them? I can buy a resale contract of 50 points as my first ownership?


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## elaine (Jan 23, 2020)

I didn't rent them, I paid another owner to transfer the points to me. Then they are my points to use however I want. It takes a leap of faith, as the owner either has to pay 1st, or the the other transfer 1st and it's a final transaction and member services does not get involved except to transfer the points. I've done it 2X without issues. i'd only do it with a DVC owner that I knew or had personally talked to on the phone 1st. I paid 1st on one and on another the owner transferred 1st. I'm sure people now use Paypal, etc. which maybe gives some protection.
Owners like to just transfer because they know they're dealing with another DVC owner and don't have to do any extra work like magic express, dining, etc.
Yes, they can be banked. I don't think banked points can be transferred., so they'd always be current points, I think. It's been a while since I did this because I bought a bigger contract.


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## CPNY (Jan 23, 2020)

elaine said:


> I didn't rent them, I paid another owner to transfer the points to me. Then they are my points to use however I want. It takes a leap of faith, as the owner either has to pay 1st, or the the other transfer 1st and it's a final transaction and member services does not get involved except to transfer the points. I've done it 2X without issues. i'd only do it with a DVC owner that I knew or had personally talked to on the phone 1st. I paid 1st on one and on another the owner transferred 1st. I'm sure people now use Paypal, etc. which maybe gives some protection.
> Owners like to just transfer because they know they're dealing with another DVC owner and don't have to do any extra work like magic express, dining, etc.
> Yes, they can be banked. I don't think banked points can be transferred., so they'd always be current points, I think. It's been a while since I did this because I bought a bigger contract.


I’d only want to go for small amount of time and every other year


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## elaine (Jan 23, 2020)

then renting or a small contact would work fine. my small contract was much more cost effective than renting, assuming paying cash and no financing. DVC is a timeshare that I felt comfortable adding in a back-end recoupment of capital. My other TS, I assumed zero back if I sold (which seems correct-unfortunately).


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## CPNY (Jan 23, 2020)

elaine said:


> I didn't rent them, I paid another owner to transfer the points to me. Then they are my points to use however I want. It takes a leap of faith, as the owner either has to pay 1st, or the the other transfer 1st and it's a final transaction and member services does not get involved except to transfer the points. I've done it 2X without issues. i'd only do it with a DVC owner that I knew or had personally talked to on the phone 1st. I paid 1st on one and on another the owner transferred 1st. I'm sure people now use Paypal, etc. which maybe gives some protection.
> Owners like to just transfer because they know they're dealing with another DVC owner and don't have to do any extra work like magic express, dining, etc.
> Yes, they can be banked. I don't think banked points can be transferred., so they'd always be current points, I think. It's been a while since I did this because I bought a bigger contract.


So I’ve been playing with points charts, it seems I’d be around 15 point average short for some trips I’d want to take. Is it easy to rent such a small amount of points?


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## CPNY (Jan 23, 2020)

elaine said:


> then renting or a small contact would work fine. my small contract was much more cost effective than renting, assuming paying cash and no financing. DVC is a timeshare that I felt comfortable adding in a back-end recoupment of capital. My other TS, I assumed zero back if I sold (which seems correct-unfortunately).


Yeah I’m figuring out if I should cut down on my vistana properties and bring in a small DVC contract. I’ve been staying in Marriott 2 bedrooms with the getaways for a few hundred bucks... it’s been very cost effective


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## Dean (Jan 24, 2020)

elaine said:


> I didn't rent them, I paid another owner to transfer the points to me. Then they are my points to use however I want. It takes a leap of faith, as the owner either has to pay 1st, or the the other transfer 1st and it's a final transaction and member services does not get involved except to transfer the points. I've done it 2X without issues. i'd only do it with a DVC owner that I knew or had personally talked to on the phone 1st. I paid 1st on one and on another the owner transferred 1st. I'm sure people now use Paypal, etc. which maybe gives some protection.
> Owners like to just transfer because they know they're dealing with another DVC owner and don't have to do any extra work like magic express, dining, etc.
> Yes, they can be banked. I don't think banked points can be transferred., so they'd always be current points, I think. It's been a while since I did this because I bought a bigger contract.


I know it's done commonly and thus far DVC has allowed it but per the POS, paid transfers are not allowed.  So realize that this is an option that could be removed at any time.


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## elaine (Jan 24, 2020)

yep. that's why I say it's a bonus. They could totally end transfers. They did impose 1x/year. But I doubt they'd stop transfers totally as many people have more than one use year and you need a transfer to complete reservations from 2 UY sometimes. And families combine points as well.


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## chalee94 (Jan 24, 2020)

CPNY said:


> So I’ve been playing with points charts, it seems I’d be around 15 point average short for some trips I’d want to take. Is it easy to rent such a small amount of points?



just some explanations:

"rent points" actually means "rent a reservation" - the DVC owner makes the reservation and puts it in your name (but they still control it). we use the lingo since you pay "per point" but you are actually renting a stay, so you can only "rent points" for full individual nights, not part of what you'd need to book a single night. 

"transfer points" means you have control over the points. you can bank them (but not borrow). they are only valid for 11 month booking for their home resort (regardless of what resort(s) you own). if you have the same resort as the transferred pts, you can pool/combine them with yours at 11 months out to book a single night (but may not be able to book online - sometimes transferred pts aren't visible and you'd have to call an operator - which means a 1 hour delay when the 11 month window opens.) 

only 1 transfer per year is allowed (either in or out, not both) so finding transfers for small amounts can be difficult.


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## CPNY (Jan 24, 2020)

T


chalee94 said:


> just some explanations:
> 
> "rent points" actually means "rent a reservation" - the DVC owner makes the reservation and puts it in your name (but they still control it). we use the lingo since you pay "per point" but you are actually renting a stay, so you can only "rent points" for full individual nights, not part of what you'd need to book a single night.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the clarification. If only one per year I can see why it may be difficult to find unless someone has 10-20 points left over and they would rather transfer than bank but I’m sure it’s not that easy. The more I think about it the more I feel a 100 point contract to be used every other or every 3 years would be best.


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## TheHolleys87 (Jan 24, 2020)

CPNY said:


> The more I think about it the more I feel a 100 point contract to be used every other or every 3 years would be best.


Be careful with the every 3 year scenario. You can bank points one year ahead and borrow one year before, but those points are then permanently stuck in the year they’re moved to, meaning that if you had to cancel and couldn’t rebook within the same UY, you’d potentially lose 2 years of points, possibly 3 if you were past your banking deadline.

You mentioned above being about 15 points short. In that case I’d borrow the 15 points. The next time you’d be 30 points short, so borrow 30, and so on. When you run out of points to borrow, then skip a year or get a transfer and start over !


chalee94 said:


> but may not be able to book online - sometimes transferred pts aren't visible and you'd have to call an operator - which means a 1 hour delay when the 11 month window opens.)


Previously, transferred points that matched your resort and UY were visible online and could be used to book online. Recent posts on the DIS suggest that now no transferred points can be seen online, so a call to Member Services is required to use them. In that case, you could book as much as possible online at 8 AM and then call at 9 to complete the booking with the transferred points.


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## Dean (Jan 24, 2020)

CPNY said:


> T
> 
> Thank you for the clarification. If only one per year I can see why it may be difficult to find unless someone has 10-20 points left over and they would rather transfer than bank but I’m sure it’s not that easy. The more I think about it the more I feel a 100 point contract to be used every other or every 3 years would be best.


The every 3 year scenario is very risky.  If you can't go or have to cancel you have precious few options to not lose the points.  As a rule I wouldn't buy or would buy for an EOY strategy at worst.


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## CPNY (Jan 24, 2020)

Dean said:


> The every 3 year scenario is very risky.  If you can't go or have to cancel you have precious few options to not lose the points.  As a rule I wouldn't buy or would buy for an EOY strategy at worst.


Thanks. I really appreciate that. I inquired about an EOY situation on my presentation but they didn’t do that. I guess the banking borrowing could be an issue if I couldn’t go I’d lose all those points.


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## Dean (Jan 24, 2020)

CPNY said:


> Thanks. I really appreciate that. I inquired about an EOY situation on my presentation but they didn’t do that. I guess the banking borrowing could be an issue if I couldn’t go I’d lose all those points.


The safest situation with DVC and points is to only be using current UY points early in the season thus UY is very important.  It also tends to be much cheaper on a per point basis buying in for normal sized contracts both because the purchase price tends to be higher pp but also closing is fairly fixed.  Thus I'd tend to prefer buying 120-150 points then renting any extra than buying 50-75 and banking/borrow.  Given the boat load of people who own smaller contracts with DVC I suspect at some point they'll change their fee structure to account for that, possibly with a base or club fee plus a per point amount not unlike MVC or Bluegreen but most don't think so.   For retail you have to buy more anyway (100) to get the perks though it's often not worth doing so.


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## CPNY (Jan 24, 2020)

What’s not worth it? Buying resale? It may be if I want to stay in riviera


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## Dean (Jan 25, 2020)

CPNY said:


> What’s not worth it? Buying resale? It may be if I want to stay in riviera


The qualified benefits of retail are often not worth the extra costs.  IMO one would need to be in a situation where the Gold pass savings made sense.  Personally I'd want to break even retail/resale in 5 years with the passes.  NONE of the other perks are reasonable to pay money for but they might be nice if you had them.  I wouldn't buy retail just to have access to Riviera unless one wanted to be there most of the time and the other financials worked out.  There will always be ways to stay there even if one can't reserve with points directly.  

Common mistakes I see buying DVC include:

Buying too few points, esp 100 or less.  Many people who go in cheap tend to need more later.
Buying too many points too early, like 400 or more.  Buying a normal size contract and trying the system is a great in between.
Planning for studios mainly which often are not available, in some cases at 11 months out.
buying just enough for the cheapest view, esp standard at BWV, BLT & VGF or value at AKV.
Not paying enough attention to UY, IMO it can be worth 1-2 years worth of points over time and when it isn't, you simply have more inherent risk to your points.
Getting caught up in the glitz of the new resort and overpaying.  This would be a risk of buying Riviera now.
Buying several small contracts going in to have multiple home resort options (can be a good choice but rarely for a newby)
Buying the wrong home resort.  Most people fairly new to Disney and/or DVC really don't know what their preferences will be though often they think they know what they want.  Long term almost everyone's preferences will change over time.  I know someone who is very knowledgeable and educated with DVC but who's preferred home resort has changed 4 times over the years.  We're OK with where ever so it's less of an issue with us.  Thus buying the most expensive option when your new and don't have experience usually means you're overpaying compared to buying something else in the system.
Worrying too much about RTU end date.  The last years have the least value currently by far.  It may be reasonable to give some consideration to the 2042 end date but after that I don't think it should drive decisions in any way.
Buying off site planning to use for WDW.  It's almost never a real savings and is limiting on options esp due to no 11 month reservation window.  
Buying exactly the numbers of points one calculates they need.  You always need to consider that you may not get a studio and need a 1 BR.  A reallocation can sabotage you.  
I'm sure we could come up with others.


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## TheHolleys87 (Jan 25, 2020)

Dean said:


> Buying exactly the numbers of points one calculates they need. You always need to consider that you may not get a studio and need a 1 BR. A reallocation can sabotage you.


This is a very important point. The 2021 points charts appear to be the start of a multi year reallocation making the exceedingly popular Fall (in particular the first weeks of December) more expensive points wise while lowering the cost of the less popular summer season. They can’t change any one date more than 20% from one year to the next, so none of us knows how far they plan to go, and there are already members moaning because they’ll have to cut next year’s trip short or borrow points or buy more.


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