Your hesitation to buy Riviera is valid, IMO. Vistana (formerly Starwood Vacation Ownership) also placed similar restrictions on all except a handful of resorts, and the restricted resorts have not really held onto much of their value over time in the resale market compared to the unrestricted ones.
Definitely not a DVC expert here... We are recent owners at DVC although have owned multiple weeks with Vistana and Marriott for 15 years, so the concept is not new to us, and neither is the resale market option. We also live in Florida but never really felt the need to stay on property as our resort interests have fluctuated between WDW and Universal over time (plenty of options with Marriott/Sheraton in the area and often great owner discount pricing for cash stays). However, our oldest child is soon graduating hs so we jumped at the opportunity to get annual passes for the coming year and it seemed like it'd be nice to mix it up with DVC stays.
Out first purchase was resale at BLT but we also subsequently purchased direct at AKV at a price that came out to $143/point. The base price for AKV is $210 but they had a promo for existing members that recently ended for $45/point discount for a 200-point purchase and you could combine that with the (still ongoing?) "Magical Beginnings" promo where they purchase your 2022 points at $22/point. It was a close call as we were very close to buying direct at VGF, which has substantially lower dues and a longer contract life, but the purchase price would have been around $175 with the promos at the time ($20 off from $217, plus $22/point cash back with the aforementioned Magical Beginnings). That said - $175/point for a direct purchase at VGF is a great price given that resale prices are north of $150/point but, in the end, we went with AKV for the lower upfront cost and also because we already own BLT and can book near stays near MK at 11 months out.
We do fully realize we still paid about 25%-30% more per point than resale, but compared to the retail-resale disparity with Marriott and Vistana point purchases (where the direct buyer loses 70%-80% up front), I really don't consider that a major loss in exchange for some of the extra benefits we may get over the years from being direct purchasers. In fact, we already just booked a stay at Riviera for this summer, something we could not do with just resale points.
Here is a thread on the disboards re the "Magical Beginnings" promo - that $22 cash back really makes some of the retail prices not too far off from comparable resale contracts when you add incentives for 150-200 point purchases, especially with VGF. And, getting back to your concern about Riviera, keep in mind that if you buy direct at a place like VGF or AKL those will still allow a subsequent buyer to use the ownership at 14 resorts, so are more likely to retain value IMO.
I had read the increased Magical Beginnings were being offered with the current AKL incentives but wanted to share that today a Guide confirmed DVC is also offering it at VGF with $22/point to buy back your 2022 points. That drops your $/pt rate a lot. Looking at 200 points goes to $197/pt with...
www.disboards.com
