Help On Finding Best Resale Company

[DVCnoob1989]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to this community, and obviously to DVC, and I'd like some advice.

I recently stayed with my family at the Poly Bungalows. It was AMAZING. We definitely got the Disney bug. We were looking at finally buying into DVC so we can come back more often. We won't be staying in the bungalows every time because we know how pricey those are haha

But during our stay, we were talking to some nice folks at Trader Sam's about joining DVC, and they said buying resale was much cheaper than buying direct. That made sense. Once we got home, we looked into DVC resale and realized just how many resale companies there are. So we stopped our little internet journey and I joined this forum to hopefully get some advice.

So...
1. Do y'all prefer resale over direct? (We aren't looking to have Poly as our home resort, btw. We're open to any of them. We just loved staying on Disney property)
2. If you prefer resale, who should we approach? There are a lot out there all with similar names lol I've had a bad realtor before, so I know how miserable it can be. I don't want to make that mistake here, so I'd love to hear what you guys think, and what you've experienced!
3. I know it's more expensive, but does DVC Direct give you more perks? Is it the safer option? We're afraid of possibly getting scammed or something haha

Anyway, thanks so much for any help you provide, and we can't wait to join the DVC family, not matter how we buy in!

 

[CarolMN]

Welcome! I'm sure you will get lots of advice - mine is to take your time and learn as much as you can about DVC and how it works before you buy.

When you're ready, you won't go wrong by trusting our DISboards.com sponsor, DVC Resale Market:

https://www.dvcresalemarket.com/

Have fun exploring their site and seeing some of what's available by resale.



In the meantime, check out these DISboards "Housekeeping Threads":

HOW TO USE the DISboards PRIVATE CONVERSATION SYSTEM (PM)​

DISboards.com Posting Guidelines

 

[intamin]

1. Both direct and resale have their pros and cons, it really comes down to whether or not you want to stay at Riviera/Disneyland hotel and if you think you'll benefit from the cheaper annual pass, lounges and Moonlight Magic, IMO the best way to do it is to have a combination of both. So you get some of the discounted price of resale but still have the perks of direct. We own more than the minimum of direct points just because we love Riviera but otherwise, most financially smart way probably would be to meet the 150 point threshold and everything else after that can be resale.

2. The board sponsor www.dvcresalemarket.com is good as well as www.dvcstore.com, there are plenty of options, Fidelity is also well known here but they tend to make a lot of errors on their listings so if you decide to proceed with them I would double check everything they do down to correct use year, number of points on the contract etc. because there have been some recent horror stories. Shop around though, DVC resale market's prices tend to be a little bit higher but for someone who doesn't know much about DVC they're probably the easiest to work with.

3. DVC direct perks include like I said ability to buy the sorcerer pass, access to the Epcot lounge, access to Top of the World lounge, 10% off food, 20% off Merch (probably the least important because you can get the food and merch perks just from being an annual passholder), access to Moonlight Magic, also when buying direct the points will have the ability to book Riviera and Disneyland hotel. Important to note that the POINTS have the ability to book the Riviera and Disneyland hotel, not the membership so if you bought resale points down the line after buying direct, only the points you bought directly from Disney would be able to be used at Riviera and Disneyland Hotel.

It really depends on where you want to stay if buying direct is worth it. For a lot of people it isn't, for us it was but again, there's no reason to limit yourself to one or the other. I think most of us on here have hybrid memberships because there's pros/cons to each.

Edited to add: if you do pursue a hybrid membership, best way is to purchase resale first and then buy directly from Disney because the discounts for being a current member are better than the discounts for new members. Also buying resale first will allow you to pick the use year you want which Disney will not always offer to you.

 

[AstroBlasters]

1) Watch lots of youtube videos from places like DVC Fan, My DVC Points, and/or The Magic In The Music to get your bearings on things like Use Years, etc.

2) Figure out how many points you think you will need and buy 110% of that number.

3) Use an aggregator like https://www.dvcforless.com/listings?resorts=Polynesian+Villas+&+Bungalows to search through many resale sites.

In general, try look for contracts that have their 2024 points (and maybe even their 2023 points!).

4) Look at sites like https://www.dvcrofr.com/pricing-trend to see what other DISBoarders are paying.

5) Set your expectations that it may take time to find a contract with the number of points you want, in your preferred use year, at a price you are willing to pay. Be willing to make a bid below asking price and walk away if you don’t think it’s a reasonable deal.

6) Looking for contracts is fun, making a bid for a contract can be a rush…. but in general the resale process is long and can take up to 90 days+ AFTER your offer is accepted. It may happen more quickly, but I would advise to not set unrealistic expectations and then get frustrated when those expectations are not met.

7) If you do not want to go through all of the work above… then wait for the new Poly Tower to go on sale next year and buy direct and get the points loaded instantly with no stress! It will cost more… but you are paying for convenience, some perks/discounts (which are subject to change), and guaranteed access to all current and future DVC resorts (as much as anything in life is “guaranteed”).

 

[Cfabar1]

So...
1. Do y'all prefer resale over direct? (We aren't looking to have Poly as our home resort, btw. We're open to any of them. We just loved staying on Disney property)

Prefer is maybe not the right word. Resale has the advantage of price. Direct has the advantage of ease, quicker turnaround, and enhanced benefits.

2. If you prefer resale, who should we approach? There are a lot out there all with similar names lol I've had a bad realtor before, so I know how miserable it can be. I don't want to make that mistake here, so I'd love to hear what you guys think, and what you've experienced!

There are many different groups. Keep in mind you will need a broker and a title company. You technically can choose your title company. The Board Sponsor tries to encourage you to use "their" title company, since they own it:

Some I like include:
www.dvcresalemarket.com - The Board Sponsor - their prices are high, their brokers are prompt and easy to get in touch with. Their "preferred" title company is www.magicvacationtitle.com I find the service slow and not particularly great.

Another organization people on the boards like is www.fidelityrealestate.com the service is not as strong, but the prices are more affordable. They have been known to find errors.

Another I like is www.dvcresaleexperts.com I have not personally used them, but have had some positive interactions with their staff - I think Adam was his name? I was very impressed and look into them from time to time, but they are definitely smaller, so the inventory is much smaller.

3. I know it's more expensive, but does DVC Direct give you more perks? Is it the safer option? We're afraid of possibly getting scammed or something haha

DVC Direct does give you more perks. Some of the major ones are:
- Access to Annual Pass Sorcerer Pass (if not a FL Resident)
- Access to the EPCOT and Disneyland DVC lounges
- Special perks at Aulani
- Able to use membership for cruises and exchange options (that tend to be quite poor uses of points in my opinion)
- A discount on dining and merchandise
Whether these outweigh the extra expense is up to you and your personality. Also, it can be based on your size of contract.

If you're looking at buying something like 700-1000 points in one fell swoop, you will save a lot of money going resale - especially if you can find a large points contract on the resale market - those tend to require a steep discount since the buying pool is rather limited . The board sponsor is a reputable firm, you might pay more to them than someone else, but a lot less than resale. I have used the board sponsor for all of my deals, and I can tell you, they all happened, and were as advertised.

Similarly to you, I was very nervous, what if this is a scam, etc. It all worked out perfectly for me.

I have also bought direct, and it is way easier, friendlier, etc.

Anyway, thanks so much for any help you provide, and we can't wait to join the DVC family, not matter how we buy in!

Last piece of advice - learn a little about use years, the points charts, and pick your home resort carefully considering expiration dates and where you will want to stay most frequently. At the end of the day, your contract ultimately only legally entitles you to your resort. So, if something happened where Disney changes their policies and you could only stay there, buy somewhere that you would be happy.

 

[GrumpyInPhilly]

Prefer is maybe not the right word. Resale has the advantage of price. Direct has the advantage of ease, quicker turnaround, and enhanced benefits.

There are many different groups. Keep in mind you will need a broker and a title company. You technically can choose your title company. The Board Sponsor tries to encourage you to use "their" title company, since they own it:

Some I like include:
www.dvcresalemarket.com - The Board Sponsor - their prices are high, their brokers are prompt and easy to get in touch with. Their "preferred" title company is www.magicvacationtitle.com I find the service slow and not particularly great.

Another organization people on the boards like is www.fidelityrealestate.com the service is not as strong, but the prices are more affordable. They have been known to find errors.

Another I like is www.dvcresaleexperts.com I have not personally used them, but have had some positive interactions with their staff - I think Adam was his name? I was very impressed and look into them from time to time, but they are definitely smaller, so the inventory is much smaller.


DVC Direct does give you more perks. Some of the major ones are:
- Access to Annual Pass Sorcerer Pass (if not a FL Resident)
- Access to the EPCOT and Disneyland DVC lounges
- Special perks at Aulani
- Able to use membership for cruises and exchange options (that tend to be quite poor uses of points in my opinion)
- A discount on dining and merchandise
Whether these outweigh the extra expense is up to you and your personality. Also, it can be based on your size of contract.

If you're looking at buying something like 700-1000 points in one fell swoop, you will save a lot of money going resale - especially if you can find a large points contract on the resale market - those tend to require a steep discount since the buying pool is rather limited . The board sponsor is a reputable firm, you might pay more to them than someone else, but a lot less than resale. I have used the board sponsor for all of my deals, and I can tell you, they all happened, and were as advertised.

Similarly to you, I was very nervous, what if this is a scam, etc. It all worked out perfectly for me.

I have also bought direct, and it is way easier, friendlier, etc.

Last piece of advice - learn a little about use years, the points charts, and pick your home resort carefully considering expiration dates and where you will want to stay most frequently. At the end of the day, your contract ultimately only legally entitles you to your resort. So, if something happened where Disney changes their policies and you could only stay there, buy somewhere that you would be happy.

I just closed on a contract this month using www.dvcresaleexperts.com and the service was fantastic. Lauri was the broker I had. She looked for a contract that matched my requirements for several months and kept presenting my offers until I got one.

 

[intamin]

I just closed on a contract this month using www.dvcresaleexperts.com and the service was fantastic. Lauri was the broker I had. She looked for a contract that matched my requirements for several months and kept presenting my offers until I got one.

They were great for me too. I had Adam, extremely communicative and responsive. Maybe the best one I’ve had although I’ve only had experience with them and DVCRM.

 

[disneyfan123]

Another I like is www.dvcresaleexperts.com I have not personally used them, but have had some positive interactions with their staff - I think Adam was his name? I was very impressed and look into them from time to time, but they are definitely smaller, so the inventory is much smaller.

Like a couple of others have mentioned previously, we used ****************.com and they were great. We have a mix of resale and direct, and I would encourage you to look at resale first, as you will get a better deal on direct points once you are an owner as Disney gives slightly better incentives to current owners. Lots of great advice given above, so I won't repeat what's been said, but follow what others have said here, do your research on what resort you want, points needed, use year, etc., and be patient; the right contract will come. Don't buy a contract that you won't be happy with!

 

[aceshigh73]

Youtube is the place to start. I was a newbie 6 months ago. Now I hang out here all the time and help others! (And still learn from the pros!) Someone mentioned "the magic in the music" channel. She's great and is a teacher, so she knows how to explain things. DVC Fan youtube channel is great as well.
Learn the terms like Use Year, Home Resort, and how and why to choose them. Figure out your budget and use an aggregator like www.dvcsearch.com and others. Also, note that depending on your and your famly's ages, some resorts that you get on the resale market expire in 2042 (Beach Club, Boardwalk, Old Key West, Boulder Ridge, etc)

Start slow, dont jump yet. Just get a feel and ask plenty of questions....

Good luck..

 

[NorCalFanatic]

Not happy with the Board Sponsor! poor communication, mis communication, not following up in a timely manner......

 

[Ruttangel]

Not happy with the Board Sponsor! poor communication, mis communication, not following up in a timely manner......

Wouldn’t recommend for international sellers either, didn’t explain all the steps or provide right advice, they ended up wiping some of my FIRPTA fees due to these issues

 

[NorCalFanatic]

Wouldn’t recommend for international sellers either, didn’t explain all the steps or provide right advice, they ended up wiping some of my FIRPTA fees due to these issues

It’s rather disappointing as our previous experiences went extremely well, this is just amateur hour right now.

 

[JeffjonesHfx]

Not happy with the Board Sponsor! poor communication, mis communication, not following up in a timely manner......

I just heard back from an offer I made (and I haven't made many with the Board Sponser as of yet) but they weren't impressed with my low bid, so took the time to make me aware that their sellers have a GTD sale program (which they admitted isn't lucrative) so there is less incentive for them to accept a low bid, at least early in the process. Does anyone know what percent of the list price they will buy at after 30 days on this program? Maybe will have to adjust my offer strategy accordingly.

 

[Sandisw]

I just heard back from an offer I made (and I haven't made many with the Board Sponser as of yet) but they weren't impressed with my low bid, so took the time to make me aware that their sellers have a GTD sale program (which they admitted isn't lucrative) so there is less incentive for them to accept a low bid, at least early in the process. Does anyone know what percent of the list price they will buy at after 30 days on this program? Maybe will have to adjust my offer strategy accordingly.

Go in and plug in the actual contract details into the instant sale calculator and you will know what the seller has been offered.

 

[JeffjonesHfx]

Go in and plug in the actual contract details into the instant sale calculator and you will know what the seller has been offered.

Thanks for that. Seems my offer was $2/pt below the instant sale price calculated using this. But, the instant sale option has the seller paying all closing fees, so that is an additional $14/pt (in this case) cost to the seller. I can see why this option isn't very lucrative. Anyway, seller got full price soon after so I guess it was priced correctly and I am just too cheap!!

 

[NorCalFanatic]

I just heard back from an offer I made (and I haven't made many with the Board Sponser as of yet) but they weren't impressed with my low bid, so took the time to make me aware that their sellers have a GTD sale program (which they admitted isn't lucrative) so there is less incentive for them to accept a low bid, at least early in the process. Does anyone know what percent of the list price they will buy at after 30 days on this program? Maybe will have to adjust my offer strategy accordingly.

Our problems have been after the offer has been accepted! Poor communication, trying to force us to use a certain escrow, one person telling us one thing and then someone else telling us something else. Switching escrow companies to one we wanted to only then drop the ball with all communications then telling us we were about to lose the contract. All in all a poor experience especially after earlier ones went so well. Doing one concurrently with Fidelity and it’s gone much smoother.