We had our first experience with renting DVC points last year. It was a very easy and positive experience and we saved so much money!
We've gone back and forth about owning DVC. We have a 3 year old and a 5 year old. We are big WDW fans, but we typically only go once every 1-2 years, because that's what we can afford. I love the WDW deluxe resorts. On one hand, it seems like a great investment for a family. On the other hand though, from what I've read it would be an extra monthly payment to our lives and there are additional yearly maintenance fees.
We were so happily surprised by our renting experience and it was so much cheaper than paying WDW to stay in a resort....we couldn't believe it was legal! We just booked our next WDW vacation for next year and we are renting points through David's. Staying at BLT for $16 per point. Pretty easy & quick to book.
Just wondering why people decide to own DVC as opposed to just renting points?
You literally line up perfectly with me, with the exception of I had only stayed in moderates going into renting last year. 3 and 5 year old, trips every 1-2 years,and loving renting and considering buying were all the exact same for me, though.
My wife and I made a spreadsheet of cost of rental vs buying. It balanced out in favor of buying within 17 years. Yes, that's a long time, but with a 43 year contract, it's only about 1/3 of the way in. This summer, we will be staying at the Polynesian for about $207 per night, considering it cost per year to buy in plus the yearly MFs on those points. It would have cost me $368 per night to rent them through David's, and a considerable amount more to book a hotel room there. I'm already "saving" money. As Bill points out in other discussions (he hasn't posted here), you will end up spending more with DVC ownership. It's no longer "how much will this trip cost?", it's now "how many points will that take?", leading to more trips and more money spent, but also memories made.
Renting is a fine option, though, you get all the flexibility you want in terms of how much money you want to spend on each trip. If I had rented points for this upcoming trip, it would have only cost me about $600 more over four nights than owning them costs. The absolute most important factor that my wife and I looked at when we decided to buy was "can we afford to pay cash for this?". We had the money sitting around. If you don't, I would recommend just renting until you do.