Also, MVCI has ended the promotion that gave you MR points (25K per quarter?) if you financed with them and then paid via automatic deduction. However, if it's within your credit limit, you can put the purchase price on your Marriott credit card, and then pay it off immediately via some other source that charges less interest. This gets you the points of a Marriott transaction from your credit card, lowers the interest rate below what MVCI or your credit card would charge, and may allow you to prepay as you wish, depending on the terms you have with your ultimate lender. They will even split the purchase price over several credit cards - my husband and I did this, moving the debt to a 4% line of credit we would otherwise not be using. Mucho MR points but not towards status.

You do get elite points for stays at your home resort IIRC. That counts toward status.