DVC Resale Contracts: What's in the Deed and What to Check Before You Sign

What Is a DVC Resale Contract?

Unlike hotel points or loyalty memberships, DVC contracts are recorded as deeded real property in Orange County, Florida (for WDW resorts) or Los Angeles County, California (for Grand Californian). That makes them transferable, inheritable, and subject to title insurance — which is why the closing process takes 6–10 weeks and involves a title company.

Understanding what's inside the contract helps you evaluate any listing accurately and avoid the most common resale buyer mistakes.

The Five Core Elements of Every DVC Resale Contract

1. Home Resort

Your home resort is permanently fixed in the deed. It determines where you can book at the 11-month window (four months earlier than other DVC owners) and which resort's dues schedule you follow. You can still book any other eligible DVC resort at 7 months — but that 4-month early-access advantage belongs only to your home resort.

For resale buyers, the home resort also determines which restrictions apply. Contracts for Riviera, Disneyland Hotel Tower, and Cabins at Fort Wilderness can only book at that one resort — they cannot access the rest of the DVC system. All other resorts carry full system-wide access. See the full resale restriction comparison.

2. Point Allotment

The contract specifies how many points renew each use year — this is the “size” of your contract. Allotments typically range from 25 to 400 points. Smaller contracts (under 100 points) often trade at a premium per point because they're easier to afford upfront. Larger contracts often trade at a slight discount.

The point allotment is fixed for life — Disney does not increase it unless you buy an add-on contract. If you regularly need more points than your allotment, you can rent extras from other owners or add a second contract later.

3. Use Year

The use year is the month your annual point allotment activates — and it sets your banking and borrowing deadlines. A February use year means points renew February 1 and you must bank unused points by September 30 (8 months in). The use year cannot be changed after purchase.

The most common use years are February, June, September, and December. The “best” use year aligns with your typical travel months — if you always travel in January, a February use year puts fresh points in your account just before each trip. Full use year guide with banking deadlines.

4. Contract Expiration Date

Every DVC contract has a hard expiration date — when it ends, you receive nothing back. No buyback, no extension, no refund. Expiration dates range from 2042 (Beach Club, Boardwalk) to 2073+ (Disneyland Hotel). Longer contracts are worth more because the upfront cost amortizes over more nights.

General rule: avoid contracts expiring before 2050 unless the price per point is deeply discounted. The shorter the runway, the less your upfront cost amortizes.

5. Annual Dues Obligation

Annual dues (maintenance fees) are not in the purchase deed, but they attach to the contract permanently. You pay dues every year whether you use your points or not. Dues cover housekeeping, property taxes, insurance, and refurbishments — and they have risen 4–7% annually for 30+ years without exception.

Current dues range from $8.31/pt (Grand Floridian) to $11.50/pt (Aulani) per year. On a 150-point contract, that's $1,247–$1,725 per year in dues alone. Over a 30-year contract, dues typically total 2–3x the original purchase price. See 2026 dues for every resort.

Points Status: The Most Important Thing to Check

Beyond the five contract elements above, every resale listing also has a current points status — how many points are available right now and what happened to past allotments. This is where most buyers get confused.

• Loaded contract — Current-year points are intact, and prior-year banked points may also be available. The most valuable listing type.
• Stripped contract — Current-year (and sometimes prior-year) points have been used or borrowed against by the seller. You may wait 12+ months for usable points.
• Banked points — Some prior-year points were saved and carry into the current use year. These expire at the end of the current use year.
• Borrowed points— The seller pulled future-year points forward. You'll have zero or reduced points the first year.

Pre-Offer Checklist: What to Verify Before You Sign

Before submitting an offer on any DVC resale contract, verify these items with the broker:

Red Flags in Resale Contract Listings

Most brokers are reputable, but some listing language can obscure problems. Watch for these:

• “No current points available” — The contract is fully stripped. You may be waiting 14+ months for usable points while still paying dues from day one.
• Price significantly below market — Could be stripped points, delinquent dues, or a contract the seller needs to unload fast. High ROFR risk if the price is unusually low.
• Short expiration without a matching price— Resorts expiring in 2042 (Beach Club, Boardwalk) should trade 20–30% below longer-contract resorts. If they're not discounted, you're overpaying for fewer remaining years.
• Vague point status— Listings that say “points available” without specifying the exact balance and use year. Always get the number in writing.
• Riviera or Disneyland Hotel without the restriction warning — These contracts are locked to a single resort. If the listing doesn't mention this, ask directly before proceeding.

What Happens After You Sign

Once you and the seller sign the purchase agreement, the process moves to:

1. Title work (1–2 weeks) — The title company verifies the deed, checks for liens, and issues title insurance.
2. Disney ROFR review (up to 30 days) — Disney reviews the contract and decides whether to buy it back at your price. Most contracts pass ROFR; high-value contracts at below-market prices carry more risk. How ROFR works and how to price to pass.
3. Closing and deed recording (1–2 weeks after ROFR) — The title company prepares final documents, you wire funds, and the deed transfers. Closing costs run $1,000–$1,500 depending on contract size. Full closing cost breakdown.
4. Disney membership transfer (1–3 weeks) — Disney loads your points into Member Services and activates your membership number. This is often the longest wait after closing.

Total time from signed offer to booking your first trip: 6–10 weeks for a smooth transaction, up to 14 weeks if ROFR takes the full 30 days.

Calculate Whether a Specific Contract Makes Financial Sense

Once you know the contract details — home resort, point count, expiration, and current dues — plug them into our calculator to see your true cost per night. Purchase price + closing costs + dues over the life of the contract divided by expected nights is the only number that matters.

Compare resale prices across all resorts in our DVC resale prices guide. For the step-by-step buying process from search through closing, see how to buy DVC resale.