Confused - please help!

[YorkshireT]

Originally Posted by MustangSally

Sorry - another question.

Now I'm looking at resale I see that some sites encourage you to 'make an offer' and let you submit a $ price per point. Is it ok to offer a reduced price or do sellers generally expect the full asking price? I don't want to waste anyone's time making offers if they aren't likely to be accepted.

Thank you

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Sally- wait until Xmas/ right after- there will be lots more contracts on the market then. This is because annual dues are due in January so people sell. Prices will go down and there will be many more options. I put my offer in just at the start of the New Year.
Read disboards DVC 'Right of First Refusal' thread to get an idea of offers being accepted.
Yes, you could buy twice the points at SSR for a 1 bed compared to what you were paying at Poly for half the points, but if you go in summer it doesn't mean you will have to stop at SSR by any means- you will have the run of WDW. You can stop in any resort then. For example, checking 7 months from now, 1 beds are open every resort no problem. Many studios will also be open (for example Poly probably will in August) so you could always book that if you wanted and stay twice as long or rent out the excess points to cover the dues on the entire contract. However, studios are definitely more patchy to get than 1 beds.
This is the case for January to start of September. Even at peak times 1 beds are usually open at many resorts at 7 months, whereas studios have gone.
If you wouldn't mind staying at Saratoga- SSR - at peak times if you ever went then (I wouldn't it is a lovely resort with less points per night than many others so if I ever went at Christmas for example when points per night are through the roof, I'd probably stop at SSR for that reason anyway as its the least points) then buying at SSR is a good choice. You get the best value points in DVC there with a combination of buy in cost, dues (lowest of DVC) and contract length (2054).

[Guest]

Thank you so much YorkshireT - that is incredibly useful advice. I've spent the day reading up and now feel much more prepared. Have sent cancellation in and will be continuing to research as you suggest and hope to buy Xmas or New Year time. Thank you again 😀

[WDWMAD]

Originally Posted by YorkshireT

If you go Jan to end of August and stay in a 1 bed, every room (save for maybe BLT standard view, which is sometimes gone) every resort is open at 7 months- so I can get Grand Floridian 1 bed etc with my SSR points no problem. Ironically Grand Floridian studios are normally gone on 11 months and it is possible that can get a 1 bed at Grand Floridian whereas the person who bought at Grand Floridian paying $100 a point more than me and has thus bought only enough for a studio cannot get in.

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I'm new to DVC and we've bought at Grand Floridian and don't have a problem with booking a Deluxe Studio Standard View at 11 months out, there's loads of availability. In fact the Resort Availability Tool is showing nearly all of June, July and August as being available or am I doing something wrong?

[KarenG]

Originally Posted by WDWMAD

I'm new to DVC and we've bought at Grand Floridian and don't have a problem with booking a Deluxe Studio Standard View at 11 months out, there's loads of availability. In fact the Resort Availability Tool is showing nearly all of June, July and August as being available or am I doing something wrong?

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I haven't managed to get into VGF at seven months yet (studio) but admittedly I've only tried for a few years. It looks fabulous, would love to stay there.

[YorkshireT]

Originally Posted by WDWMAD

I'm new to DVC and we've bought at Grand Floridian and don't have a problem with booking a Deluxe Studio Standard View at 11 months out, there's loads of availability. In fact the Resort Availability Tool is showing nearly all of June, July and August as being available or am I doing something wrong?

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Hi WDW Mad, I should have perhaps qualified that by saying at busy times studios are often gone on 11 months. Often October to December, you have to be very quick. Also if you want to book say 5 months out, and only have the points for a studio, you can also be disappointed. For example, I just checked a week in March and studios only had 1 night availibility. 1 beds I could get the week. So someone who bought enough points for a studio at GF may find it less easy to get in than someone who bought a cheaper resort, twice as many points for a 1 bed. This is true for all resorts but I think amplified at GF due to its popularity and size. It's a v good resort to own though and will always increase in price well. It's just that with OPs circumstances (travels summer and likes a 1 bed), buying an SSR gets maximum resort hopping potential, bigger villa and cheapest price IMO.

[WDWMAD]

Originally Posted by YorkshireT

Also if you want to book say 5 months out, and only have the points for a studio, you can also be disappointed. For example, I just checked a week in March and studios only had 1 night availibility. 1 beds I could get the week.

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But the only reason you would buy at the resort you want to stay at is to book at 11 months out so you wouldn't be in those circumstances because you would have already booked by 5 months.

Based on that theory every DVC resort would struggle to get a studio at 5 months out not just VGF? The amount of dues on points to afford a 1 bed on every visit would be around double.

[YorkshireT]

Originally Posted by WDWMAD

But the only reason you would buy at the resort you want to stay at is to book at 11 months out so you wouldn't be in those circumstances because you would have already booked by 5 months.

Based on that theory every DVC resort would struggle to get a studio at 5 months out not just VGF? The amount of dues on points to afford a 1 bed on every visit would be around double.

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A lot of people buy thinking they'd like to stay at that resort every time. They often change their minds. Yes if you want to stay VGF in a studio every time, year in, year out, buying there is probably best if you are prepared to pay. If however you want to stay at different resorts every time (like me), try the new resorts as they are built etc, unfortunately the only way you have a really good chance of doing this is by staying in a 1 bed.
For me it's exciting that last year I was in Poly, next year it will be Boardwalk. I want to do Beach Club, Copper Creek (at some point), and in 2020 for a Star Wars trip I'll be eyeing Riviera. I'm confident I'll be able to book all these.
Also for anything but a couple, a 1 bed is a big improvement over a studio.
If you get enough points for a studio at VGF (twice the price of a SSR resale) it's 'hope for the best' time if you want to stay elsewhere in quiet times, likely won't happen peak times.
As I say, over 30+ years an owner may want to rent some years, so if someone has half points they will receive half the rental income. I can also book a studio if I get lucky, and rent the excess points to pay for all of that year''s dues.
Also the more points bought the more the increased dues are. So I only have 160 points as I stay 10 nights in a 1 bed every other year. The difference in dues for me is £60 a night. So my 1 bed in dues cost is about £120 a night and my buy in was only £10k net. The break even on my contract is probably under 3 stays.
But people should do their own research and buy what's best for them. All we can do on boards such as this is give our opinions based on what we've worked out is good for us, based on experience.
For me it was a very easy choice, because I wouldn't really want a studio anyway.

[WDWMAD]

Originally Posted by YorkshireT

A lot of people buy thinking they'd like to stay at that resort every time. They often change their minds. Yes if you want to stay VGF in a studio every time, year in, year out, buying there is probably best if you are prepared to pay. If however you want to stay at different resorts every time (like me), try the new resorts as they are built etc, unfortunately the only way you have a really good chance of doing this is by staying in a 1 bed.
For me it's exciting that last year I was in Poly, next year it will be Boardwalk. I want to do Beach Club, Copper Creek (at some point), and in 2020 for a Star Wars trip I'll be eyeing Riviera. I'm confident I'll be able to book all these.
Also for anything but a couple, a 1 bed is a big improvement over a studio.
If you get enough points for a studio at VGF (twice the price of a SSR resale) it's 'hope for the best' time if you want to stay elsewhere in quiet times, likely won't happen peak times.
As I say, over 30+ years an owner may want to rent some years, so if someone has half points they will receive half the rental income. I can also book a studio if I get lucky, and rent the excess points to pay for all of that year''s dues.
Also the more points bought the more the increased dues are. So I only have 160 points as I stay 10 nights in a 1 bed every other year. The difference in dues for me is £60 a night. So my 1 bed in dues cost is about £120 a night and my buy in was only £10k net. The break even on my contract is probably under 3 stays.
But people should do their own research and buy what's best for them. All we can do on boards such as this is give our opinions based on what we've worked out is good for us, based on experience.
For me it was a very easy choice, because I wouldn't really want a studio anyway.

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I completely understand what you are saying and totally agree that if you don't mind which resort you want to stay at it's probably best to choose the cheapest resort and buy more points and pay the extra in annual dues (like I say I'm new to DVC).

When we were researching the VGF nearly everybody we spoke to told us that if that's where you want to stay then you MUST have it as your home resort, buy the amount of points you need and book at 11 months out and to be honest the studio availability hasn't been an issue so far at 9-11 months out. We decided to spend a bit more money at VGF so that we could have the option to stay in 1 Bedrooms everywhere else at 7 months in years to come after you mentioned this when we were researching, but, we wanted to make sure we would have the option to book VGF first at 11 months out because at this moment in time that would always be our first choice. It made sense for us to spend a little extra on the initial outlay than to buy a lot more points at say SSR, pay more annual dues and worry about getting into VGF.

Looking at resort availability, which is something we didn't have access to when researching, it is very difficult to get in a studio anywhere at 7 months, so in reality if you have a resort you want to stay at, don't mind staying in a studio and don't want to spend much in annual dues, you really should choose it as your home resort no matter what the initial outlay is.

At the end of the day, like you say, different needs suit different people, for us it was all about the Grand Floridian after falling in love with it many many years ago and the cash price was soaring each year so purchasing points there was a no-brainer.

[YorkshireT]

Originally Posted by WDWMAD

I completely understand what you are saying and totally agree that if you don't mind which resort you want to stay at it's probably best to choose the cheapest resort and buy more points and pay the extra in annual dues (like I say I'm new to DVC).

When we were researching the VGF nearly everybody we spoke to told us that if that's where you want to stay then you MUST have it as your home resort, buy the amount of points you need and book at 11 months out and to be honest the studio availability hasn't been an issue so far at 9-11 months out. We decided to spend a bit more money at VGF so that we could have the option to stay in 1 Bedrooms everywhere else at 7 months in years to come after you mentioned this when we were researching, but, we wanted to make sure we would have the option to book VGF first at 11 months out because at this moment in time that would always be our first choice. It made sense for us to spend a little extra on the initial outlay than to buy a lot more points at say SSR, pay more annual dues and worry about getting into VGF.

Looking at resort availability, which is something we didn't have access to when researching, it is very difficult to get in a studio anywhere at 7 months, so in reality if you have a resort you want to stay at, don't mind staying in a studio and don't want to spend much in annual dues, you really should choose it as your home resort no matter what the initial outlay is.

At the end of the day, like you say, different needs suit different people, for us it was all about the Grand Floridian after falling in love with it many many years ago and the cash price was soaring each year so purchasing points there was a no-brainer.

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WDW Mad- couldn't agree more- if you want that VGF and want a studio you have to buy there. If you have to stay at VGF October to December in any category (albeit you can get a 1 bed even then but much more difficult) buy VGF. It will hold its value very well indeed. It is a fabulous DVC, even if points heavy. It is a good buy, no doubt, I'm certainly not criticising anyone who buys it- for example it's a much better investment than now buying a resort that ends in 24 years- even if VGF is quite an expensive option. But off peak it is definitely open for 1 beds at 7 months. I would post the availability charts I obtained on here but can't see I can do it. If you google disboards and '7 month availability' and separately the names 'drusba' 'skier pete' and 'wakey' and have a good dig around you should find most of the threads. Drusba does an excellent verbal summary of each season. Skier Pete did some 7 months availability charts- but studios only. Wakey has uploaded a spreadsheet of all resorts except BLT, all categories showing all room availability at 7 months in 2015. I compare that to my own checks this year and it is still pretty spot on so it may help you when you are considering what you could get at 7 when you move around as you eventually intend to do.
Cheers.