Common DVC Resale Mistakes to Avoid

After 25 years in the DVC resale business, we've seen buyers make the same mistakes hundreds of times. Most of these are completely avoidable. Here are the ones that cost the most money, cause the most frustration, and we wish we could tattoo on every buyer's forehead before they start shopping.

Mistake 1: Buying the Wrong Resort

This is the big one. Buyers get excited about a great price per point and jump on a contract at a resort they've never stayed at. Then they visit and realize it's not for them. But now they own a 50-year commitment there.

Saratoga Springs is a great value, but it's a 15-minute bus ride from the parks. If you want to walk to Epcot, Saratoga isn't going to make you happy no matter how cheap the points are. Beach Club is steps from Epcot, but it costs $30-40 more per point for a reason.

We always tell buyers: stay at the resort before you buy there. Book a regular hotel room or rent DVC points for a trial stay. Spending $2,000 on a test vacation is cheap insurance against a $25,000 mistake.

Mistake 2: Ignoring Use Year

Your use year determines when your points arrive and when they expire. Pick the wrong one and you'll be fighting the calendar every year.

If you travel in summer, a December use year means your points arrive six months early with plenty of time to plan. An August use year means your points arrive right when you need them, leaving no room for banking or flexibility.

We've seen buyers grab a contract because the price was right, only to realize the use year creates an annual headache. You'll own this contract for decades. The right use year makes it effortless. The wrong one makes it stressful.

Mistake 3: Not Counting All the Costs

The listing price is not your total cost. Buyers who only look at price per point are leaving money on the table or getting surprised at closing.

Here's what a typical resale buyer actually pays on a $25,000 contract:

• Contract price: $25,000
• Buyer closing costs: $500-$800
• Disney Administration Fee (CAF): $500
• Pro-rated annual dues: varies (could be $0-$1,700 depending on closing date)

Your all-in cost is closer to $26,000-$27,000 depending on timing. That's still a massive savings over buying direct, but you should budget for the extras so there's no sticker shock at closing.

And don't forget ongoing costs. Annual dues run $1,400-$2,000 per year on a 200-point contract depending on the resort. That bill comes every January whether you use your points or not.

Mistake 4: Getting Emotional About ROFR

Disney's Right of First Refusal means they can buy your contract at the agreed price during the 30-day review period. About 10-15% of contracts get taken.

Some buyers get so scared of ROFR that they overpay to be "safe." They offer $10 per point above market because they think a higher price protects them. Sometimes it does. But you just spent $2,000 extra on a 200-point contract to avoid a maybe.

Other buyers get crushed when ROFR takes their contract and give up on the whole idea. This is a mistake too. ROFR is a speed bump, not a wall. If your contract gets taken, you get your deposit back and find another one. There's always another contract.

The smart approach: offer a fair market price, don't overpay for ROFR insurance, and be mentally prepared that it might not go through. If it does, great. If it doesn't, you'll find another deal within a few weeks.

Mistake 5: Not Reading the Contract Details

DVC contracts aren't all the same. Two 200-point contracts at the same resort with the same use year can have very different values based on the details.

Check for:

• Banked points: Are there points from the previous year that are still usable? Banked points add immediate value.
• Borrowed points: Has the seller already used next year's points? If so, you're buying a contract with a point deficit.
• Pending reservations: Does the seller have upcoming reservations? Those need to be cancelled before closing.
• Deed details: Is the contract in individual names, a trust, or an LLC? Trust and LLC contracts can complicate the transfer.
• Outstanding dues: Are there any unpaid annual dues? These get settled at closing but can delay the process.

Your broker should help you review these details, but don't assume they'll catch everything. Ask questions. Read the estoppel letter carefully. Know what you're buying.

Mistake 6: Buying More Points Than You Need

More points sounds better. And Disney's sales team (on the direct side) pushes big contracts because it means bigger commissions. But buying 300 points when you really need 150 means you're paying for points you'll never use, or you'll be scrambling to rent them out every year.

Think honestly about how often you'll vacation at Disney. Once a year for a week in a studio? 150 points at most resorts covers that. Twice a year for a week each time? 250-300 points. A weekend here and there? Maybe 100 points does the job.

It's cheaper to buy a smaller contract now and add on later than to overshoot and be stuck with unused points every year. Unused points don't roll over forever. You can bank them once, but eventually they expire. Paying annual dues on points you can't use is throwing money away.

Mistake 7: Skipping the Broker

Some buyers try to buy DVC resale directly from sellers on Facebook groups, forums, or Craigslist. Bad idea. Without a licensed broker handling the transaction, you have no protection if the seller disappears, the contract has liens, or something goes wrong during transfer.

A good broker earns their commission by verifying the seller, managing the ROFR process, coordinating with the title company, and making sure the contract transfers cleanly to Disney. The seller pays the commission (6.9% at DVC Sales, lower than the industry standard), so it costs the buyer nothing to have professional representation.

We've rescued buyers who tried to go direct and got burned. A seller who collected a deposit and vanished. A contract with $4,000 in unpaid dues that the "seller" didn't mention. A deed with a lien from a divorce settlement. All of these are things a broker would have caught before any money changed hands.

Mistake 8: Buying Riviera Resale Without Understanding the Restriction

This one has gotten more common as Riviera prices on the resale market have dropped to attractive levels. Buyers see Riviera at $110-$120 per point and think it's a bargain compared to the $207 direct price. And per-point, it is.

But Riviera resale buyers can only book at Riviera. No Polynesian, no Beach Club, no Bay Lake Tower. Just Riviera. If you love Riviera and plan to stay there exclusively, the savings make it worthwhile. But if you want the flexibility to book at other resorts using the 7-month window, you need to buy at a pre-2019 resort or buy Riviera direct.

We always make sure buyers understand this restriction before they make an offer. It's not a deal-breaker for everyone, but it's a fact that changes the calculus significantly.

Learn From Others' Mistakes

Every one of these mistakes has cost a real buyer real money. The good news is they're all avoidable with a little research and a conversation with an experienced broker.

Give us a call at (407) 205-1435 before you start shopping. We'll help you pick the right resort, the right use year, and the right contract size for your family. Then when the perfect listing shows up, you'll be ready to make a smart offer instead of an emotional one.