Considering resale, advice please! About This Page:

[hockeyguysmom]

So I finally have DH considering buying DVC thru a resale company. He loves BWVs so I figured buy where you want to stay & if he knows he will get to stay at his favorite resort I will be more likely to get to get a DVC membership.

Well, we recently found out that we are expecting our 3rd child!!!! So now I am wondering if we should be looking into purchasing at a resort that has 1 bedrooms that would fit our family that will now be 5 people.

From what I understand AKV, BLT and OKW (being referbed) all have bedrooms that fit 5.

Now I am thinking that we should purchase one of these so that we know we will all fit and then on trips when we have more points available try for a 2 bedroom at BWV or BC.

Am I going about this the wrong way? It seems like we could get more points for our money at OKW. Having more points to be able to try 2 bedroom villas at other resorts but also I think we would be ok with staying at OKW if we had to. Especially since the villas are bigger & with our family growing it would be nice to have more space to spread out.

Ok so I might be rambling a bit here but what do you think...buy where we want to stay or buy the better value for our expanding family? Thanks for any advise!

[nurse_mom]

keep in mind when you look into OKW, the contracts end much sooner than others, another reason the $$$ looks nice. We are a family of 5. We have done 2 bedrooms and studio (to save points) Homes are AKL and SSR. We just love our membership and can't wait until we get to try all of the different resorts! I suggest picking a resort you love or see yourself spending the most time at.

[Eeyore Tattoo]

Check out the annual dues costs when shopping too. We own SSR but have never stayed there. Remember you don't have to stay at your home resort. A lot of resales at OKW may have the extended contract dates, check that too.
We are very happy with our DVC membership & have loved being able to stay at Deluxe resorts.AKL was beautiful & BLT was very sleek & modern..

[rescuesk]

Wow, that's a tough one. BWV is a smaller resort than say, OKW or SSR, and it's hard (but not impossible) to get into at the 7 month window at popular times (Food and Wine festival, Christmas). If your heart is set on staying at BWV, you should buy there so you have the 11 month booking window.

If you can be flexible, you should look into one of the resorts that more suits your needs. OKW has good size rooms, and SSR is a big resort that generally has availability. Plus, as an owner at SSR, you have the 11 month booking window at the TreeHouse Villas!

AKV has some studios built for 5 with the sleeper chair, also.

All the villas have a pack and play for your little one.

with your desicion!

[tjkraz]

Originally Posted by nurse_mom

keep in mind when you look into OKW, the contracts end much sooner than others, another reason the $$$ looks nice.

Depends. DVC offered 15 year contract extensions at OKW. Points purchased on the resale market could end in either 2042 or 2057. Depends upon whether the current owner extended or not. OKW points purchased direct from DVC will have the 2057 ending date.

Speaking as a BWV owner, I think it's getting hard to justify a purchase there. All BWV contracts DO end in 2042 so you're faced with only getting about 30 years worth of ownership out of the points. That's a pretty dramatic reduction in value compared to the likes of Bay Lake Tower and Grand Californian which run through 2060.

If you want the ability to stay at the BoardWalk every single time you want to AND will consistently be booking around 11 months out, then BWV may be the only way to go. But if you're wanting only the occasional BWV stay I would look elsewhere with the goal being to book BWV at 7 months on some occasions.

As for the question of accommodating your family, if you consider any resort's One Bedroom villas, understand that it will only be a temporary move. Yes BLT and AKV can sleep 5 in most One Bedroom villas. But that has all of the kids sleeping in the living room--two sharing a pull out sofa and the third on a pull out chair. Those arrangements aren't going to last forever. Our kids are 8 and 6 and it's already a chore trying to get them to sleep comfortably sharing a sofabed. My guess is that by the time the oldest is 8-10 yrs, you'll be forced to move to a Two Bedroom.

[hockeyguysmom]

I was honestly considering a contract that may end sooner because I don't know that I have my DH completely convinced on going to WDW for 50 years, but 32 might make more sense to him.

And Tim, good point that we will need a 2 bedroom when the kiddos get older. I am still completely torn but you have all made some excellent points. BWV has one of the highest dues and is more expensive to buy into than OKW. Also, we will want to stay at BWV alot but not every time, I would really like to try some of the resorts that we have not stayed at yet.

Still confused and alot to consider, still interested in any advice fellow PPers have to offer.

[Cam22]

Loads of to help you decide.

[spiceypj]

Originally Posted by hockeyguysmom

. BWV has one of the highest dues and is more expensive to buy into than OKW. Also, we will want to stay at BWV alot but not every time, I would really like to try some of the resorts that we have not stayed at yet.

Still confused and alot to consider, still interested in any advice fellow PPers have to offer.

there is also another thing to consider - BWV does NOT have any 2-bedroom. all the 2-bedroom are 1-bedroom connecting to a studio.

so they are hard to get. I own at BWV, VWL and BLT. that say with BWV only go for the standard rooms (much less points)

now you are true about the maintence fees it is expensive. also since BLT opened it seems to be easier to get BWV and BCV than before.

that say would not get either OKW or SSR - they both will have higher maintence fees - they are both several stand alone buildings in a fairly big area.

really have not send anything to suggest that OKW fees should be so high. It does not have room service or valet parking. So not sure why OKW fees are so high. One reason got rid of OKW. Kept in mind that the last few years (since SSR opened) OKW fees have been HIGH.

now on the other side both BLT and VWL should have fairly lower maintence fees - they are both one building. although BLT will probably be less - just because the foot print is less.

BWV already has had several things wrong with it. Mostly it was the builders fault so they had to do the work.

It does not look too great for the future - pretty sure now it is old enough that any future problems - members will have to fix.

OKW has much fewer problems. but those GV are a big one. everytime they need to refinished those floors - it is definitely more money for the members for to paid

don't think you can have 5 at OKW. It would take putting in one of those chair beds in the rooms. and I don't think it was to be done that way.

now there was a time when CRO (not MS) would allow anyone to have 5 in all the 1-bedroom DVC - Members found out about it and demanded the same right. So far there is nothing officially. that say with BLT and AKV having 5 in their 1-bedrooms - would not be surprised in anything.

OKW definitey has more than enough room for the chair bed.

[tjkraz]

Originally Posted by spiceypj

there is also another thing to consider - BWV does NOT have any 2-bedroom. all the 2-bedroom are 1-bedroom connecting to a studio.

I believe what Pat means is that there are not any DEDICATED Two Bedroom villas at the BoardWalk. All of the 2Bs at BWV have a queen sized bed and a full size sofabed in the second bedroom. Many resorts have rooms with two queens in that second bedroom but at BWV that is not an option. But you certainly can reserve a Two Bedroom villa.

that say would not get either OKW or SSR - they both will have higher maintence fees - they are both several stand alone buildings in a fairly big area.

really have not send anything to suggest that OKW fees should be so high. It does not have room service or valet parking. So not sure why OKW fees are so high. One reason got rid of OKW. Kept in mind that the last few years (since SSR opened) OKW fees have been HIGH.

I don't agree with this at all. We have 18 years worth of history on OKW dues increases and they average in the 3-4% range. There was one year dues increased about 9% over the prior year. Don't remember the exact reason but I think it may have been property insurance after the hurricanes hit Orlando back in the mid-'00s. That was also when the slide was added to the OKW pool which increased pool maintenance costs and lifeguards for the pool.

SSR has always been in the 3-4% range.

SSR and OKW have the third and fourth lowest dues (behind only Bay Lake Tower and Grand Californian) and there's every reason to believe that will continue to be the case.

now on the other side both BLT and VWL should have fairly lower maintence fees - they are both one building. although BLT will probably be less - just because the foot print is less.

The ONLY reason BLT dues are so low is because the point charts are 20-25% higher than any other resort. Higher point charts means more points sold by DVC. More points sold by DVC means the annual operating budget is spread over more points. Each point therefore pays a lower share.

VWL dues are higher then both OKW and SSR (and BCV, and AKV.)

BWV already has had several things wrong with it. Mostly it was the builders fault so they had to do the work.

It does not look too great for the future - pretty sure now it is old enough that any future problems - members will have to fix.

That's quite a reach. BWV had some plumbing issues from its initial construction. Repairs were not paid for by members.

BWV has been open for over 13 years now. I don't see how we could predict that BWV is more or less likely to experience future problems than any other resort.

don't think you can have 5 at OKW. It would take putting in one of those chair beds in the rooms. and I don't think it was to be done that way.

now there was a time when CRO (not MS) would allow anyone to have 5 in all the 1-bedroom DVC - Members found out about it and demanded the same right. So far there is nothing officially. that say with BLT and AKV having 5 in their 1-bedrooms - would not be surprised in anything.

OKW definitey has more than enough room for the chair bed.

To clarify, DVC unofficially allows 5 guests of any age in a One Bedroom villa. This has been the policy for at least 3 years now. They will not provide cots or rollaway beds for the resorts which only have sleeping accommodations for 4, so you're on your own in that regard.

Only BLT, AKV and VGC OFFICIALLY allow 5 in a One Bedroom, and there is always a chance that DVC could alter its policy for the other resorts.

However, DVC has added the sleeper chairs at Vero Beach so that its One Bedrooms now do sleep 5. And when Old Key West is refurbished in '10-11, the sleeper chairs will be added there, too. This does seem to suggest DVC will continue to allow 5 in One Bedroom villas. But again, no guarantees.

[hockeyguysmom]

Tim, thanks for explaining some of those points better for me.

We have stayed in the 2 bedroom villas at BWV's (paying cash) and the adjoining rooms did not really bother us. I guess since we have not stayed in a dedicated 2 bedroom we don't have anything to compare it too.

The reason I had mentioned 5 in a 1 bedroom at OKW was that I had read somewhere that they are being remodeled with a sleeper chair (I think AKV's might have something similar) and that when this is completed the occupancy in a 1 bedroom will be 5. Oh, just finished your comment & you covered this as well.