50 point contracts

[GregT]

All,

I've noticed a few owners have a single contract yielding 50 (or 25) points? I'm curious how TUGgers think those contracts are best utilized?

Is it simply a base from which you then rent in the points that are needed?

It is for single day reservations to append onto an RCI trade?

Is it to book a Studio/1BR room only for short stays?

(Maybe yes to all of the above?) I'm just curious because if I do buy one of these things, I've been focused on 100-200 points.

However, I would appreciate any perspective of how owners of a smaller contract have maximized the opportunity.

Thanks very much!

Greg

 

[rickandcindy23]

Weekdays in a studio at Old Key West for off-season are only 10 points each. The 1 beds are double that cost.

I think most people save the points and then borrow from a future year to use those small contracts. I personally own 250, so no small contracts for me.

Another use is in transferring to someone who needs a few points and charging 2-2 1/2 times your fees (or thereabouts)

 

[SueDonJ]

Over on the disboards I've seen some folks recommend as small a contract as possible just to be eligible for whatever DVC-owner discounts are available, then they use the Points in all the ways you mention. The Annual Pass ($100 off?) discount is the one mentioned most often.

 

[chalee94]

i'm a small contract guy...

Is it simply a base from which you then rent in the points that are needed?

technically, you would need to transfer pts in. that's not impossible but it can be complicated.

It is for single day reservations simply to append onto an RCI trade?

or II trade. i haven't done it but i have considered adding a day or 2 at the GCV to a week at marriott's newport coast villas. or adding some onsite time to a week in orlando at a II resort.

Is it to book a Studio/QBR room only for short days?

this is what i do, mostly.

i originally had enough pts for 5 weeknights each year, but after point chart reallocations in the last few years, my small contract has turned into an every-other-year kinda deal. no big deal. it's fun to have the option to stay onsite at wdw, but most of my traveling is done with my other timeshare trades in II.

 

[heathpack]

We own a 25 and an 85 point contract.

We really only want small contracts for the following reasons:
1. They are quicker and easier to sell and tend to sell at a little bit of a premium. I have a strange fear of owning a TS that I could not dispose of quickly if necessary.
2. If we decide to downsize or upsize, we can buy or sell small contracts to fine tune our ownership.
3. Our primary use of DVC points is weekend stays at VGC, we only desire the occassional week long stays in Orlando.
4. We'd somewhat prefer 1BR units, but really don't need anything more than a studio and we don't want to pay for more than we need.

The main disadvantage to the small points contracts is that you need to pay a closing cost for each resale contract (I think when you buy direct, you pay one closing cost even if you split the purchase into multiple contracts, but I am not sure about this- ever since DVC started charging for closing, I stopped keeping up with the details, as that was previously the only reason I would have bought direct).

H

 

[alwysonvac]

All,

I've noticed a few owners have a single contract yielding 50 (or 25) points? I'm curious how TUGgers think those contracts are best utilized?

Is it simply a base from which you then rent in the points that are needed?

It is for single day reservations to append onto an RCI trade?

Is it to book a Studio/1BR room only for short stays?

(Maybe yes to all of the above?) I'm just curious because if I do buy one of these things, I've been focused on 100-200 points.

However, I would appreciate any perspective of how owners of a smaller contract have maximized the opportunity.

Thanks very much!

Greg

Yes, to all of the above. I also bank and borrow from time to time.

I sold most of DVC points since I can exchange into Disney with my WM or HGVC. I have a 50 point SSR contract left.

NOTE: DVC has a rule in place that limits owners to one transfer (either in or out) per use year. So you have to plan wisely.

 

[elaine]

We have 3 other TS and could not justify a large DVc contract--but I was so impressed with DVC after a stay that I really wanted to be able to go--so 50 points was not much $$ and I also like that we can get rid of it in a matter of days if we ever want to.

We have done the following:

borrowed points from the following year and taken grandparents with us (2 studios) @ Christmas for 3 days at VWL-did the dining plan, Chef Mickey's for Christmas brunch!

(before the change in weekday points)--stayed 5 nights in a studio in the summer with the kids--now, I would have to borrow points from the next year to get 5 nights

had 120 DVC points transferred in for various uses, including 6 nights in a value studio @ AKV for brother's family while we stayed @ OKW on a RCI trade

booked 2BR for 1 night @ AKV for 9 persons prior to Disney cruise--much more WOW factor than a regular hotel.

transferred another set of points in to book DVC-HHI.

and, our "regular" use of the 50 points is to book 3 nights studio @ AKV (Easter week--higher points) along with a RCI trade. DH and I will take studio for those nights for some couple time while grandma watches the kids and cousins over @ RCI place. Plus, my kids are then allowed to use AKV Community Hall for crafts, games, etc.--where they will spend a number of hours, while I sit in the balcony @ community Hall and read and watch animals--so a vacation for Mom also.

I am really glad that I have the 50 points this year, as I never got a match for DVC for Easter 2012. We took HGVC--which is fine, esp. since we have a 3 day "fix" @ AKV. Otherwise, I would be really bummed out.

 

[MichaelColey]

I have a 25 point contract, and I bought it almost exclusively for the $100 per person AP discount. That upfront investment of under $2k will save us $400 every year we buy APs (and $500 once our youngest turns 3).

I might use the points to pad out exchange stays, but I find DVC to be overpriced. At roughly 30-60 points per night ($150-$300) for a 2BR, that's close to as much as a week in an off-site 2BR costs me. I'll probably just rent my points out, which will more than cover the MFs.

 

[sfwilshire]

I've been looking for a 50 pt contract for the AP discounts and for a day here and there tacked on to another exchange. I DO know that nothing is forever. Early DVC owners got FREE Disney tickets as I recall.

The only thing that has kept me from pulling the trigger (and I'm not talking about the fact that I own twice as many timeshare weeks as I have vacation time) is the high closing costs for those small contracts.

Has anyone been able to get around that?

Thanks,

Sheila

 

[presley]

I've been looking for a 50 pt contract for the AP discounts and for a day here and there tacked on to another exchange. I DO know that nothing is forever. Early DVC owners got FREE Disney tickets as I recall.

The only thing that has kept me from pulling the trigger (and I'm not talking about the fact that I own twice as many timeshare weeks as I have vacation time) is the high closing costs for those small contracts.

Has anyone been able to get around that?

Thanks,

Sheila

You can make offers on the contracts and ask for the seller to either pay for closing or split the closing costs.

I met an original DVC member (he bought before first resort was open) and he said that he had annual passes for free for 7 years. So, yes, the perks could change any time.

 

[MichaelColey]

It certainly can change, but I'll be surprised if this one does again. I think Disney found the sweet spot with a $100 discount. Free was obviously too generous (when you consider that most would buy tickets or passes anyway), but this discount and price point accomplishes several things. First, it's still higher than a one week ticket, so Disney still gets as much or more than they would get from many members. Second, $100 (per person) is pretty significant so it helps DVC sales. Third, it encourages DVC members to come more than once a year because it's not much more expensive to get APs. They know how much people spend each day they're at Disney.

 

[marmite]

I don't live close enough to any of the resorts to get an AP. Nor do I have a small contract yet still never have enough points (I will have to put together 3 years for a proper Aulani trip). Most people buy the small contracts because they find they do not have enough points to do what they want to do with DVC, or are attracted to a new resort and want to have the home-resort advantage when booking with those points.

Since transferring points in will cost about $10 or more a point, it is very expensive to make a reservation when you look at the point charts.

With a small contract, you could reserve a week every 3 years (I'm thinking a 2 bedroom at most resorts).

If I had to do it over again, I would only buy DVC if I absolutely needed a 2 bedroom unit or were eating most of our meals in (and needed a full kitchen). Since I'm only doing a DVC trip every other year, it would be cheaper to just pick the onsite hotel of the moment and enjoy that. No planning a year in advance, just pay for the type of room I want and away we go -- daily cleaning, high thread-count sheets and the works!

I like having DVC, but I don't love it. Seeing what trades I can pull with a small SDO contract is very eye-opening. I don't think most of the DVC properties can hold a candle to the quality of some of the Starwood or Marriott units. I don't think Disney is maintaing their units as well as they should. I will probably BURN for saying that...

 

[MichaelColey]

I don't live close enough to any of the resorts to get an AP.

What? You have to live close? We're 1000 miles away, but we bought one last year and took 6 trips for a total of 12 weeks. The APs are actually a decent deal if you have two or more trips of at least 4 days in a 12 month period.

I don't think Disney is maintaing their units as well as they should. I will probably BURN for saying that...

I have to agree. I think we stayed in 8 DVC units this year. I would have to rate them as only slightly above average in construction quality, and two or three of the units we stayed at where poorly maintained. We can overlook quite a bit for the Disney experience, though.

 

[marmite]

What? You have to live close? We're 1000 miles away, but we bought one last year and took 6 trips for a total of 12 weeks.

Okay, maybe not CLOSE, but closer? Air from Vancouver is quite expensive (I can go to Europe for the same price) and is always via an East Coast hub which makes for a lot of travel time. Not exactly a good way to spend a long-weekend!

And 12 weeks?! Wow, I thought my 8 weeks of vacation a year was good, clearly I am in the wrong line of work!

 

[SueDonJ]

What? You have to live close? We're 1000 miles away, but we bought one last year and took 6 trips for a total of 12 weeks. The APs are actually a decent deal if you have two or more trips of at least 4 days in a 12 month period.

I have to agree. I think we stayed in 8 DVC units this year. I would have to rate them as only slightly above average in construction quality, and two or three of the units we stayed at where poorly maintained. We can overlook quite a bit for the Disney experience, though.

Michael, have you also stayed at Bonnet Creek? During our last visit we talked for a while with a couple people while waiting for the Epcot fireworks, a man who had taken his 68yo mom (she offered her age, we didn't ask!) for a week to Bonnet Creek. It was shortly after it opened and boy, they were both gushing over how wonderful it was. I love staying onsite at Disney World but I think I'd also consider Bonnet Creek based on what they were saying. If you have, how do you compare it with any of the Disney resorts?

 

[glypnirsgirl]

You can make offers on the contracts and ask for the seller to either pay for closing or split the closing costs.

I met an original DVC member (he bought before first resort was open) and he said that he had annual passes for free for 7 years. So, yes, the perks could change any time.

I was an early purchaser - I purchased in 1994 - I think that sales began in 1992. By the time that I purchased, the perk was in the contract and it specifically stated that it would expire in 1999.

elaine

 

[chriskre]

Michael, have you also stayed at Bonnet Creek? During our last visit we talked for a while with a couple people while waiting for the Epcot fireworks, a man who had taken his 68yo mom (she offered her age, we didn't ask!) for a week to Bonnet Creek. It was shortly after it opened and boy, they were both gushing over how wonderful it was. I love staying onsite at Disney World but I think I'd also consider Bonnet Creek based on what they were saying. If you have, how do you compare it with any of the Disney resorts?

I'm Not Michael, but I've stayed at all the DVC resorts except BLT and after having stayed at Bonnet Creek will say that it's now my favorite Orlando resort. Have already stayed there four times in a little over a year.

I think the experience at Bonnet Creek is even better if you stay in a Presidential suite. If you just stay in one of Bonnet Creeks regular rooms, they're nice enough and compare with a regular Disney room, but for the same price you pay at DVC, you can stay in Presidential suites at Bonnet Creek and really be comfortable.

If you just ignore the sales staff at Bonnet Creek you can have a great vacation. The bus situation is not as convenient as it is for the DVC resorts so if you're driving I think you have an advantage staying at Bonnet Creek but if you have to rely on the buses then DVC is probably the better choice.

 

[MichaelColey]

Michael, have you also stayed at Bonnet Creek? ... If you have, how do you compare it with any of the Disney resorts?

I'm Not Michael, but I've stayed at all the DVC resorts except BLT and after having stayed at Bonnet Creek will say that it's now my favorite Orlando resort. Have already stayed there four times in a little over a year.

I think the experience at Bonnet Creek is even better if you stay in a Presidential suite. If you just stay in one of Bonnet Creeks regular rooms, they're nice enough and compare with a regular Disney room, but for the same price you pay at DVC, you can stay in Presidential suites at Bonnet Creek and really be comfortable.

If you just ignore the sales staff at Bonnet Creek you can have a great vacation. The bus situation is not as convenient as it is for the DVC resorts so if you're driving I think you have an advantage staying at Bonnet Creek but if you have to rely on the buses then DVC is probably the better choice.

Yes, I have stayed at Wyndham Bonnet Creek, and it's my favorite non-DVC Orlando resort (so far). It's THE CLOSEST to Disney (even closer than Saratoga Springs and Old Key West, I believe) and the rooms are very spacious, comfortable and well equiped. The ONLY downside is that you don't get the Disney onsite perks like EMH, Dining Plan availability, free parking, etc.

It's tough for me to pick a favorite between WBC and the DVC units. WBC is superior in almost every way, but there's a lot of Disney magic in those onsite perks. When we stay on site, we endure smaller units, a tiny fridge with no icemaker (except at OKW), small dining room table, no luggage carts, distant parking lots (for many of the DVC properties), etc. When we stay at WBC, we can't walk to any parks (like we could at BCV or BWV), we don't have a savanna outside our balcony (like at AKV), it's more timeconsuming to get to MK (since you have to go through the T&TC and monorail or boat, vs. a bus straight to the park at DVC), but we have much more comfortable, spacious accommodations.

Also, regarding the comparison between DVC and WBC Deluxe rooms (they don't have any standard ones) and WBC Presidential rooms... WBC Deluxe is quite a bit better than DVC, IMHO. I've never stayed in a WBC Presidential (although I have at other Wyndham properties), but I know they're VERY nice. Much better appliances and furniture, and somewhat more space.

We've been focusing on DVC when we can get it, but we're not upset at all if we end up "having to" go to WBC or another property.

Also, if you have more than 4-6 people, WBC would be WAY better because of the availability of 3BR and 4BR units.

 

[SueDonJ]

Thanks Chris and Michael, I think Bonnet Creek has definitely gone to the top of the list for our next Disney World visit. Not having to use the Disney buses is a plus in my book; not having access to any dining plans makes no difference at all to us; giving up the onsite extra hours and the package delivery would be negatives but not enough to offset the comfort I think we'd find at Bonnet Creek. Thanks for your help.

 

[Gophesjo]

What is the lowest price

What is the lowest price anyone has seen for a 25 point contract? For a 50 point contract? I believe that prices are different for the different resorts. I wonder what the lowest price per point is for a Hilton Head points contract of these sizes? Thanks for any input anyone has.

 

[logan115]

What is the lowest price anyone has seen for a 25 point contract? For a 50 point contract? I believe that prices are different for the different resorts. I wonder what the lowest price per point is for a Hilton Head points contract of these sizes? Thanks for any input anyone has.

Just google "DVC resales" and check out the sites of the first few results which will be The Timeshare Store, Resales DVC, and DVCbyresale. Those three along with Fidelity handle most of the DVC resale business and show the listings on their sites.

Chris

 

[MichaelColey]

If you monitor the resale sites regularly and wait for the right deal, you can pretty easily find a 25 point contract for under $2k after closing costs, and perhaps closer to $1500. If you just hop on the cheapest thing available at the moment, you'll pay a premium -- the cheap ones go very quick (sometimes within hours, usually within a day or two). Also, I would suggest picking the resort you want (either for low MFs or booking preferences) rather than just taking whatever comes along. It probably doesn't make a huge difference on a 25 point contract, but even with a contract that small, a $2/point higher MF over 40 years is an extra $2k.

 

[Gophesjo]

Thank you, Michael

I like the idea of a mid-week stay at Hilton Head, with access to transferring in points for one of the DW properties if I want to do a longer stay, and getting the other related benefits as well. So, I guess that is where I will be looking.

I appreciate the advice.

 

[logan115]

If you monitor the resale sites regularly and wait for the right deal, you can pretty easily find a 25 point contract for under $2k after closing costs, and perhaps closer to $1500. If you just hop on the cheapest thing available at the moment, you'll pay a premium -- the cheap ones go very quick (sometimes within hours, usually within a day or two). Also, I would suggest picking the resort you want (either for low MFs or booking preferences) rather than just taking whatever comes along. It probably doesn't make a huge difference on a 25 point contract, but even with a contract that small, a $2/point higher MF over 40 years is an extra $2k.

If you are looking for 25-50 pt contracts you need to do a bit more than just monitor the sites. Contact the brokers and tell them what you're looking for. Like Michael said, the smaller contracts go quickly and there are often other buyers that have brokers looking for the same contracts, so those contracts never even get onto the website as the broker has found a buyer before they get listed.

As a buyer you can work with as many brokers as you like, I'd put a phone call into all of them telling them what you're looking for, get on the email distributions for new/updated listings, and then you'll have a good chance of finding something that works for you.

Good luck,

Chris

 

[Gophesjo]

Thanks, Chris

I appreciate the further in depth advice