Five Tips For Buying Second Hand Cars

During these tough financial times, more people are opting to buy second hand cars instead of going for the expensive brand new ones. This is not at all a bad choice, but buying used car will require more from buyers than just merely whipping out a loan calculator and filling out an application form. More than just finding a good loan provider and scouting for the lowest interest rates, opting for second hand cars also involves looking into the specific condition of the car you are considering to ensure that you will get the most out of your investment.

Finding the right used vehicle may be relatively easy but with the number of cars to choose from, it can get utterly confusing at times. Here are five foremost guidelines every buyer should factor in when looking for your new set of wheels.

Estimate your Budget

Most buyers look at cheap cars for sale because of economic reasons and obviously your monetary capacity should be on the top of your list. First off, determine how much of your savings you can put towards your loan. You would also need to incorporate additional expenses such as insurance, gas and even technical assistance to help assess the condition of your desired car. Ask yourself whether you are realistically capable of financing this type of investment. If not, you might as well lower your expectations and go for a cheaper car model. When it comes to your budget, the mantra is to stick to what you can afford.

Scan for Your Car

After determining your budget, you can now begin your exciting and tiring sojourn towards finding your car. To narrow down your choices, you can pre-select cars based on how much you can afford, this way you can choose to maximize and thoroughly exhaust the possible used car choices that are well within your budget.

Patience

Buying a vehicle that has been previously owned requires more patience that buying a new one. For one, you need to make sure that you have the right lender who can reward you with the friendliest interest rates. Secondly, you need to make the necessary precautions to ensure that your car of choice is still at the prime of its performance and not a damaged car that has been fixed up for resale.

Work on your Credit

Like any other loan, used car loans are also based on your particular credit standing. The better you are in paper, the better deals you will get. Research where you stand financially before stepping onto a car lot so you would know how much of a leverage you can get in bargaining for a better deal.

Look to your Local Banks

Some customers take the local or union bank route instead of hitting the office of major lenders. This could work well for you, especially if you have a bad credit, as these local banks are known to be more accommodating to their private customers. Plus they may have some repossessed cars for sale that you could find a good deal on.

Flipping Cars on Craigslist – Finding Repairable Cars For Sale

Today, everybody seems to be looking for ways to make a couple extra dollars, and for those who know how to flip cars on craigslist, that is buying damaged repairable cars and fixing them up to resell, can be quite a simple process. While some automotive knowledge is required, flipping cars can be a great way to earn just a small extra income or even make a living off. While not right for everybody, here are some tips for those interested in finding repairable cars for sale.

When it comes to flipping cars for profit, the first thing to do is scour local craigslist adds for cheap cars. Typically, these should be used cars under 1000 – 1500 dollars or in that price range and will most likely not be overly impressive to look at. The real trick is while looking through all the used cars for sale by owner listings finding the ones that are a great deal to begin with and may only need minimal repair work. Several important areas should be examined in order to determine whether the car is worth the investment. A running engine is critical, cars that do not run will not sell. Having prior knowledge about engines can allow for great profits if the engine can be made to run with a few cheap junkyard parts, but this is not always the case. In fact, the simplest and most common reason for low prices on cars is simply aesthetics. Rust and torn leather are frequent in older or lightly damaged cars and actually quite simple to repair with some Bondo and automotive paint. By restoring a presentable appearance, flipping the car becomes easy and extremely profitable at relatively low cost to you.

In order to flip cars on craigslist some knowledge of what to look for is required, but this can be a great way to earn some extra money. It is important to look carefully and choose investments carefully, but if cars can be found that simply need rust repairs and paint it is always worth the money. Before making the investment however, ensure that a test drive is taken to prevent you from being the one being ripped off on a barely running car.