Home Resort

[ALLDISNEYLOVER]

Sorry if this has been already hashed out, but what is the importance of home resort. I can buy through resale Vero Beach for about $70 a point where SSR is going for as much as $92 a point. Couldn't I just buy Vero Beach and stay at any DVC resort I wanted?:help: :help: :help: :handshake

[TW1]

Yes, you can use your points at any of the DVC resorts. At your home resort you can book 11 months in advance, at all others you can book 7 months in advance.

There is lots of back and forth on this, but the sage advice is "buy where you like to stay, when you like to stay" THis means if you really like the Boardwalk and you really like to be there a certain week of the year, you should own there so you can assure yourself a reservation.

Ther have been folks who own at one resort and can't find a ressie at the 7-month window in another resort at peak seasons.

Now, the other thing to consider is that SSR contracts will give you 50 years of enjoyment, while VB wil only give you 39. So is the Vero price a deal still? Also, what is the monthly fee for each and does that play a part in your decision.

Personally, we bought at HHI casue we love it. We go to WDW every other year and have never had trouble getting a BCV room at the 7-month window. But with more and more members almost every day, I forsee the day when I may have trouble getting into BCV when I want to go.

THis is a good question and should be carefully considered. THe forums here at MouseOwners will have lots of threads like this and I suggest you keep asking questions. You certinaly want to be an informed buyer and this is the place to become one!

I hope I helped!

[ghost1000]

In addition to the initial cost, you have to consider the annual dues. Over time the dues will far outweigh the initial cost.

Here's a link to the annual dues in the past (http://www.mouseowners.com/DuesHistories.html). Vero Beach is the highest at $5.27 per point. After about 4-5 years VB is going to make SSR look like a real good deal, even at $92 per point.

My husband thought the same thing, but my concern was what if Disney sells their off-property interests. And actually I've been using my 11-month advantage heavily by booking my home resort in advance, and then maybe moving at the seven month mark.

[mushu]

I got BWV points because that's where I want to stay the most.

[Plutofan2]

If you can not plan your vaction more than 7 months out then all points are equal. At some point with more members going it may be difficult to book at the 7 months window at the smaller DVC resorts like Wilderness Lodge, Beach club and Boardwalk. Also remember that price, who pays closing costs and who pays maintenance fees are all negotiable. If you choose Vero I would look for a better price since dues are so much higher. We bought Vero about six months ago for around $60 per point. Vero is usually one of the easier DVC to negotiaie with the seller. Good luck.

[cobbler]

The most expense with DVC will be your dues, not the inital cost.

Also keep in mind that Vero and HHI are off property and could be destroyed by hurricanes and/or sold by DVC. Not likely for the latter but still.

If you do want to stay on property, you should look at one of the resorts on property.

Vero and HHI are great for summer type times where people like to go to the beach but there are a lot of popular times for onsite DVC that if you don't own there it could be hard to get in.

But with SSR so large, you probably could get in there without problem. Possibly OKW too.

There are so many back and forths on this, just make sure you are comfortable with where you buy.

[DVCByResale]

Hi DisneyLover!

Your question is one I am asked daily. I wrote this article which you might find helpful. It is long, but covers the aspects of most scenarios to consider before making that final purchase decision:

When purchasing into Disney’s Vacation Club (a.k.a. timeshare) you purchase an ownership interest in a specific resort. That resort becomes your “home” resort. While you are treated like a homeowner at any DVC property there are a few things to keep in mind before you make that initial investment.

First, your home resort has one significant privilege. You can make reservations at your home resort up to 11 months in advance, while at the other DVC resorts you can only make them up to 7 months in advance. The extra reservation window can truly play a part if you travel during the holidays! Next, each resort has different annual dues (a.k.a. maintenance fees & taxes). Dues can vary as much as $1 per point. If you are buying 300 points that could equal $12,000 over 40 years of ownership. Think about it.:teacher:
From a financial standpoint, it would be best to buy a less expensive resort from the secondary market such as DVC By Resale.com that has lower annual dues. Currently Saratoga Springs, Old Key West and Hilton Head have the lowest annual dues and are readily available on the resale market. While Saratoga tends to be a higher cost per point at this time, it also offers 12 more years of ownership than the other resorts.

Keeping in mind we all aren’t financially driven, let’s look at the picture from a personal viewpoint. If your spouse loves a particular resort and you tend to travel when the kids are out of school (major holidays, president’s week, spring break, etc.) then you might seriously consider buying that particular resort despite the dues or the initial investment. The saying, “You can’t buy peace of mind” comes into play when your loved one's vacation is at stake. Not to mention the brownie points you earn in keeping your other half happy!:doublekis
Now, the age old question that will be answered a million ways: “Is it really difficult to get into your non-home resort during the 7 month window?”

The answer is simple: yes and no

Seriously, here are the factors to consider before you answer that question: Which resort? How large is that resort? What size unit? How many of those units does that resort have? What time of year? Are you traveling during the week or the weekend?

Daunting, isn’t it?

Would you allow me to give you my opinion, and that’s all it is, on this one? Disney is the best vacation club in the world because it is so flexible and because of the wait list! When we understand that Disney allows a Member to make a reservation and not be penalized for canceling until less than 30 days in advance we can see why the system works. Here’s how: Members make reservations far in advance with good intentions of traveling and then low and behold – life happens! Little Johnny’s football team goes to nationals, Suzy has a recital, Dad got a promotion but has to be at the corporate offices that week so... we have to cancel our reservation. Meanwhile, another family has been on the wait list for 4 months and what looked to be a no go vacation suddenly becomes available when the Cast Member calls to tell them their wait list request is now available. :doublejum On another hand, maybe the family who never plans far out calls 3 weeks in advance and gets exactly what they want because all the long term planners changed plans. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve called Member Services at the last minute and gotten the exact size unit I wanted.
So, does your home resort really matter? Yes and no.:scratchch

I encourage you to sit down and look at your family’s travel habits and future plans. Consider your style of vacationing and then make your decision based on your personal preferences. If you decide that saving money is part of your plan, I hope you’ll send me an email or give me a call. Still confused about the DVC overall? Contact me anytime at shontell@dvcbyresale.com and I will gladly share the ins and outs of the program.