It sounds like taking the swap for CWA points will increase your maintenance fees, but doing so preserves your Gold VIP status with no dispute. If you're grandfathered with unlimited housekeeping credits, that's valuable to you or your family the ownership might pass to.
You don't have to buy more points with the swap. If you were to buy more developer points to lower your maintenance fees, it's highly unlikely you'd live long enough to come out ahead on what you'd save vs what you spent. Lol
Now if you were considering buying more points to reach Platinum, here's what I'd suggest. Take the swap. I doubt Shawnee Village will see much payout if you opt to go that route. Find yourself one or two 3 or 4 bedroom units at a non Wyndham resort that qualifies for PIC Plus weeks. Not PIC Express! Three or four bedroom units are valued at 254k points.
Once those weeks are in your name and showing in an RCI Weeks account, call telesales and make the minimum purchase, 49k per PIC Plus week, to enroll the PIC Plus weeks. Telesales can offer better deals than the sales centers but it will be on CWA points. They have discounts and rebates that can make buying a little larger point package than the minimum needed a considerably better deal. They also give bonus points.
The 4 bedrooms at the various Massanutten resorts are often offered for free here on TUG or for just the closing and transfer costs.
You should be able to do this for no more than $20k. Two PIC Plus three or four bedroom weeks get you 508k points towards the VIP level. With a minimum purchase of roughly 100k points that gives you 608k points. With what you already have, might even be enough to make you Founders.
Here's the big if to consider. Can you and will you want to travel enough to use a million or more points per year? If you're consistently flying and renting a car on your travels that gets expensive. Are you willing and able to travel within 60 days to benefit from the VIP discount and upgrades? Are you adventurous enough to try different resorts? To stay where and when you can find stays? Or do you only want to go back to the same few resorts at specific times so are often booking at full points?
Finally, yes the maintenance fees are higher on CWA points, but there is an advantage to owning some to have access to the CWA inventory prior to 10 months.
