- Joined
- Jul 17, 2005
- Messages
- 6,191
- Reaction score
- 3,273
- Points
- 649
- Location
- Central Florida
- Resorts Owned
-
Fitzpatrick's Castle Holiday Homes,
Enchanted Isle.
Yes we stayed in April 2010
With that many weeks, you must be paying lots of$$$ On Maintenence fees.
I have 7 timeshares and I pay a lot in Maintenence too!
We bought DVC over 10 years ago, with the idea of vacationing with family, those plans worked out well.
Now we are adding on for our retirement and senior years. DVC is the most senior friendly timeshare out there, especially if you are flying. Honestly, you can vacation there well into your 80's, with not worrying about driving, luggage handling, and grocery shopping. We looked into buying a condo,
but when we figured things out, it makes much more sense to buy into DVC. Sure there is more economical ways but everything has a price, and sometimes the more economical ways are more expensive.
DVC has a strong resale, rental, family interest (meaning family will always visit you) value that if something should happen to us we would feel protected in a way that our family would not be in a bind over these timeshares.
My point is that piece of mind has value to it. How much value depends on your value of time, safety, convenience, and added worries.
Almost all of my DVC stays over the past 18 years have been on exchanges. VB, OKW, VWL, SSR, BCV, BWV and AKV. As many as 10 exchanges at one time for a family trip. But it is more difficult, for WDW it's essentially only SSR 1 BR with a rare AKV or AKV 1 BR for the past 3 years. I haven't looked at VB & HH but would figure they are available off season but not the rest.
It has been much cheaper to do the exchanges and rent out the points. We've been able to stay where we were happy doing so. As I said, we'd planned to sell all but the 25 points but never got around to it. While I think exchanging in is workable for us going forward, I don't think it has the options it did 10 years ago. For a novice buying to exchange in would not be a good choice IMO but for someone looking to get to Disney and other places, owning something they could use but might be able to exchange in with could be a workable plan.Hi Dean, with all the DVC points you own and have owned over the year, why would you do DVC stays on exchange?
That’s what I’m hoping my HGVC will be good for. I’ll try to exchange into the park DVC resorts. If not then the HGVC resorts aren’t too far away. I may still buy some DVC though! Lol!It has been much cheaper to do the exchanges and rent out the points. We've been able to stay where we were happy doing so. As I said, we'd planned to sell all but the 25 points but never got around to it. While I think exchanging in is workable for us going forward, I don't think it has the options it did 10 years ago. For a novice buying to exchange in would not be a good choice IMO but for someone looking to get to Disney and other places, owning something they could use but might be able to exchange in with could be a workable plan.
Owning DVC points would allow you to book a DVC resort other than SSR. Saratoga shows up the most in RCI. Other DVC resorts are few and far between in RCI these days. I occasionally see OKW in RCI. And I personally have not seen AKL in ages in RCI.That’s what I’m hoping my HGVC will be good for. I’ll try to exchange into the park DVC resorts. If not then the HGVC resorts aren’t too far away. I may still buy some DVC though! Lol!
It's a high risk high high reward play but if you're OK with the off property resorts in HGVC (which are overall nicer than DVC resorts), OK with SSR or similar, can do a 1 BR and plan far out; you're chances of success are high.That’s what I’m hoping my HGVC will be good for. I’ll try to exchange into the park DVC resorts. If not then the HGVC resorts aren’t too far away. I may still buy some DVC though! Lol!
We bought DVC over 10 years ago, with the idea of vacationing with family, those plans worked out well.
Now we are adding on for our retirement and senior years. DVC is the most senior friendly timeshare out there, especially if you are flying. Honestly, you can vacation there well into your 80's, with not worrying about driving, luggage handling, and grocery shopping. We looked into buying a condo,
but when we figured things out, it makes much more sense to buy into DVC. Sure there is more economical ways but everything has a price, and sometimes the more economical ways are more expensive.
DVC has a strong resale, rental, family interest (meaning family will always visit you) value that if something should happen to us we would feel protected in a way that our family would not be in a bind over these timeshares.
My point is that piece of mind has value to it. How much value depends on your value of time, safety, convenience, and added worries.
Unless there is a savings, it makes no sense to buy. Obviously it depends on what you're comparing to, for DVC it's comparing to on property cash and/or DVC rental.
Sure but my point is that if it doesn't make financial sense at least compared to on property, it doesn't make sense at all. Just to be a member of the club doesn't make any sense.I think - as long as you can afford it - there are many purchases that make sense for emotional reasons, enjoyment and peace of mind. Like I said before, DVC is a luxury, non-essential purchase. If we are strictly looking at financial reasons, then buying a DVC timeshare does not make sense at all. Going back to Disney again and again would, technically, be unnecessary. I hope I am communicating this properly. While I am a Disney owner, and purchased most of my points resale, I think it was a frivolous purchase but one we can afford and we did try to maximize our value. If we based decisions solely on saving money, we would own very little expect our primary home and 2 cars. We would have one pet instead of four including three expensive pure breeds. In fact, if we were solely concerned with financial savings, we would never buy a new car or go on a vacation far from home. In the olden days, when I was a kid, we never went on vacation more than 200 miles away from home (always by car) and that seemed like a luxury.
Well apparently I've lost all sense then. I put an offer in on a contract tonight. We'll see what the reply is and I'll let you know how it goes. They may just tell me to pound sand as I offered much less than they were asking but right around what they have been selling for so we'll see.
We were able to stay at Disney Vero Beach on an RCI exchange about8 years ago. Is it harder to get now?
Good luck.Well apparently I've lost all sense then. I put an offer in on a contract tonight. We'll see what the reply is and I'll let you know how it goes. They may just tell me to pound sand as I offered much less than they were asking but right around what they have been selling for so we'll see.
Pretty much just 1br SSR nowadays. There was a time a few years ago that exchanging was great. But now there are less opportunities and locations. Also RCI has increased the exchange fees plus now DVC collects $190 a week when exchanging in.That’s what I’m hoping my HGVC will be good for. I’ll try to exchange into the park DVC resorts. If not then the HGVC resorts aren’t too far away. I may still buy some DVC though! Lol!
Overall they have been encouraging trading somewhat. I suspect their agreement with RCI requires a certain volume of exchangesI suspect DVC does not want folks to exchange because RCI does not have good options for trading into. That may be one way they keep their resale prices high. DVC is not a trader.
It's a high risk high high reward play but if you're OK with the off property resorts in HGVC (which are overall nicer than DVC resorts), OK with SSR or similar, can do a 1 BR and plan far out; you're chances of success are high.