We are former owners of Welk. We started by buying (resale) one of the fixed week fixed unit 2BR units in the original Escondido property. Then we converted to the Platinum Points Program and had 300,000 points.
The properties in their system are nice other than the Palm Springs Resort, which are converted 1BR apartments. However, over time we found the locations to not be ideal for us. We finally sold our ownership back to them, when that possible to do, and upgraded to systems that fit our needs better.
One thing to keep in mind if you buy resale is to make sure you buy enough points to fit your needs. If you find in the future that you need more points you can buy more, but it will be a second contract. That means that your maintenance fees will be higher than if you had bought the total amount of points at the same time. That’s because they charge a base fee plus an amount based on the amount of points, which means you would be paying the higher base fee twice instead of once. Hopefully that makes sense. Also, you can’t combine your two points accounts to make one reservation. You have to use them separately.
If you decide to buy, resale is definitely the best approach. I believe the only benefits you lose out on with Welk are discounts if you rent additional nights and status with8n the system. However, if you are just starting out I recommend that you research the various systems in order to make the best decision for your vacation needs. TUG is a great resource for research.
Best regards.
Mike