Buying a DVC contract is a significant financial decision, and the questions you ask before signing matter enormously. I have watched buyers sail through this process with confidence and others get tripped up by details they did not think to examine until after the transaction was complete. The difference almost always comes down to preparation.
Over 25 years of helping people buy and sell DVC contracts, I have developed a reliable list of the questions that actually matter. Not generic real estate questions, but DVC-specific ones that affect whether you get what you thought you were purchasing and whether the contract will serve you well for years to come.
Question 1: How Many Points Does This Contract Come With Right Now?
This seems obvious, but it is more nuanced than buyers often realize. When you see a listing for a 150-point DVC contract, that number represents the annual allocation. What you want to know is the current state of the points that transfer with this specific sale.
Ask your broker or the listing details: How many current-year points are available? Are there any banked points from a previous use year that also transfer? Have any points been borrowed from next year's allocation, which would reduce what you receive in your first year of ownership?
A contract listed as 150 points might actually transfer with 300 points if the current owner has banked last year's allocation. Or it might transfer with only 75 points if the current owner has already used half of the current year. These differences affect both the immediate utility of the contract and, in some cases, its price. Understanding exactly what points you are getting is one of the first questions to nail down.
Question 2: What Is the Use Year, and Does It Work for Your Travel Calendar?
The use year is the month in which your annual point allocation refreshes. Common use years include February, June, August, September, October, and December. This detail has real practical implications for how your points work and how you plan your trips.
If your use year is February and you typically travel in March, you are in great shape. Your fresh points just arrived, giving you a full year to use them for that upcoming trip. But if your use year is October and you typically travel in August, you are using points from an allocation that is nearly a year old, and any banking you want to do for future trips needs to happen before a deadline that will arrive faster than you expect.
Misalignment between your use year and your travel patterns can create unnecessary complexity. Banking deadlines can sneak up on you. Points can end up expiring if you are not tracking the calendar carefully. Before committing to any contract, map out your typical travel months against the use year of that specific contract and make sure the timing works for you.
Question 3: What Is the Expiration Date of the Contract?
DVC contracts have specific expiration dates that vary by resort. When the contract expires, the deeded interest returns to Disney. This is not a flaw or a defect, it is built into the structure of DVC ownership. But the remaining years on a contract directly affect its value and the total number of vacations you will get from it.
Some resorts have contracts expiring in 2042. Others expire in 2054, 2060, 2064, or 2068. The difference between a 2042 contract and a 2068 contract is 26 more years of ownership, which at a typical usage level translates to many additional vacation stays.
When comparing contracts at different resorts or within the same resort if both 2042 and extended-term versions are available, make sure you are comparing apples to apples on total ownership value, not just per-point price. A lower per-point price on a shorter-term contract may not actually be the better deal when you factor in remaining years.
Question 4: What Are the Annual Dues, and How Do They Compare to Other Resorts?
Annual maintenance fees are your ongoing financial commitment for the life of the contract. They vary by resort, typically run between $7 and $10 per point per year, and increase annually. Before you commit to a specific contract, calculate what your annual dues bill will be based on the current per-point rate and the number of points you are purchasing.
You can find current dues rates by resort on our annual dues page. The difference between resorts can be meaningful over a multi-decade contract. A resort with dues of $7.50 per point versus one with dues of $9.00 per point represents $225 per year for a 150-point contract, or $3,375 over a 15-year period. That is real money.
Also ask whether there are any outstanding dues balances on the contract you are considering. Unpaid dues are an issue that your broker and title company should catch and resolve before closing, but it is worth confirming explicitly rather than assuming.
Question 5: Are There Any Pending Reservations or Restrictions on the Contract?
When a DVC contract is sold, any existing reservations associated with that contract are a matter that needs to be addressed. Some reservations may transfer with the contract, meaning the new owner could use or cancel them. Others may need to be cancelled by the seller before closing. Understanding the reservation status of a contract you are considering is important for both practical planning and for assessing value.
Ask specifically: Are there any active reservations on this contract? What happens to those reservations at closing? Is the contract otherwise in clean standing with Disney, with no pending issues or restrictions?
The Disney estoppel that is part of every closing process confirms the contract's status, point balance, and dues standing. Your broker and title company manage this step. But asking the question upfront helps you understand what you are actually getting and whether any complications need to be resolved before the transaction proceeds.
Why These Five Questions Matter Together
Each of these questions addresses a different dimension of what you are actually purchasing. The points situation tells you what immediate vacation value you receive. The use year tells you how the contract fits your travel calendar. The expiration date tells you how much total value the contract delivers over its lifetime. The annual dues tell you what the ongoing financial commitment looks like. And the reservation and restriction status confirms that the contract is clean and ready for your ownership.
A contract that looks great on one dimension but has problems on another can still end up being the wrong purchase. Working through all five questions before you sign gives you a complete picture.
Additional Questions Worth Asking
Beyond the core five, there are a few additional questions that often matter depending on your situation.
If you are buying a contract at a resort you have not stayed at before, ask whether you can visit the resort before committing. Personal experience with a property is valuable data for a long-term commitment. Many resorts allow non-member guests to stay in the villas as cash guests, and booking a one-night or two-night cash stay before purchasing gives you a chance to evaluate the resort firsthand.
If you are comparing multiple contracts at the same resort, ask how the point totals and current availability differ between them. A contract with more banked points from the current owner's careful planning might be worth a slight price premium if those banked points get you into a great trip sooner.
If you are purchasing from a seller who has actively used the points heavily this year, confirm how that affects the first year of your ownership. Walking into a contract with zero current-year points means you are effectively waiting until your next use year for a full allocation. Depending on your travel plans and the contract price, that might be acceptable or it might be a reason to look at a contract with better point availability.
How DVC Sales Helps You Ask the Right Questions
Our team has been through this process with hundreds of buyers. We know which questions matter most for each type of contract and each resort, and we build the answers to these questions into the information we provide for every listing on our site.
When you are evaluating a listing on our resale listings page, the details that matter most are documented. And when you have additional questions, reaching out through our contact page connects you with someone who can walk through the specifics of any contract with you before you make any commitment.
We also encourage buyers to review our how DVC works guide before diving into specific contracts. Understanding the overall system makes it much easier to evaluate individual contracts intelligently and ask the questions that actually matter for your situation.
What to Do After You Have Answers
Once you have answers to these questions for a contract you are seriously considering, you are in a position to make an informed offer. Price negotiations in DVC resale typically happen around the per-point price, and having a clear picture of the contract's current point state, use year implications, remaining term, and dues costs gives you a rational framework for what the contract is worth to you.
Do not rush the decision because you feel pressure from a broker or because you are afraid another buyer will take the contract. Good contracts come up regularly in the DVC resale market. If you miss one, another suitable option will appear. The right purchase is one you have thought through carefully, not one you made quickly out of fear of missing out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I negotiate the price of a DVC resale contract?
Yes. DVC resale contracts are negotiated between buyers and sellers, with brokers facilitating the process. Listed prices are asking prices, not fixed prices. Reasonable offers below asking price are common, and sellers often accept offers that are somewhat below their initial listing. The current market conditions and how long a contract has been listed both affect how much negotiation room typically exists.
What does the closing process look like for a DVC resale purchase?
After an offer is accepted, the contract goes through Disney's Right of First Refusal review, which takes approximately 30 days. If ROFR passes, a title company manages the closing, which involves transferring the deed and activating the membership in the buyer's name. Total timeline from accepted offer to deed transfer is typically two to three months.
What is included in the buyer's closing costs?
Buyer closing costs typically include title insurance, county recording fees, and related transaction expenses. The buyer also pays Disney's $500 Administration fee. The seller pays the broker commission and Disney's $150 Estoppel fee. Your broker can provide a cost estimate based on the specific contract and purchase price.
What happens if I find a problem with the contract after closing?
This is one of the reasons the estoppel and title insurance steps exist. The estoppel confirms contract details before closing. Title insurance protects against defects in the title that were not disclosed. If a problem is discovered before closing, it needs to be resolved before the transaction proceeds. Working with an experienced broker and a reputable title company that specializes in DVC transactions significantly reduces the likelihood of post-closing surprises.
