12 things to know before buying a car ---2

   Welcome reader, last week I promised the other half of 12 things to know before buying a car. Without wasting any time, let's go to number seven so I can fulfill the promise I made.

• SALESPEOPLE ARE OFTEN AS AFRAID OF YOU AS YOU ARE OF THEM: Most people see car salesmen as sharks that are ready to attack you as soon as you walk into the lot. The truth is that most of them are scared to even talk to you. They know how people see them and it is hard to start a conversation with someone who hates you before you even make eye contact with them. As a rule, seasoned salespeople are likely to have the typical car salesman personna.You may want to avoid them but, then again, remember they know a lot about the product. So whatever you do remember that car salespeople are people too.
• BEWARE OF HIDDEN FEES: Car dealers are notorious for obscure fees that show up on the contract when you are signing the papers. While it is true that they have legal and administrative expenses, everyone does. I am not saying that you should not pay any fees, I am suggesting though, that you ask what it is upfront from the dealer you are buying the car from. It will save a lot of headaches when you get to the finance office.
• YOUR CREDIT DOES MATTER: I cannot wrap my head around this, but many dealers heavily advertise their unique ability to get people who have terrible credit into great cars. For the most part, they are gimmicks. They get you in the door to see if they can get you approved but, most of the time, they cannot and they simply waste three to four hours of your time. And, obviously, if you have bad credit and get approved by a bank, then know that you will be paying a ridiculously high interest rate so do not fool yourself. Car dealers are not miracle workers. If your credit is bad, your chances of financing a vehicle purchase with a credit are not good.
• GO WITH THE BEST INTEREST RATES: Dealers will always try to get you to finance in-house. They often make more money in the finance office than they do in the selling price of the car. It is harder for you to see the money you are spending when it is spread over three to six years. But the dealer sees it right away. Shop around for interest rates, sometimes, the dealership really will be able to get you better rates through the bank  it uses. Sometimes, you will do better yourself. Just be smart and finance with the lowest bidder.
• DON'T FORGET ABOUT CAR INSURANCE: This is something that most people don't consider when buying a car. How will it affect your insurance policy? Some cars raise insurance premiums, others can lower them while most do not affect them all that much. Before signing a contract, call your insurance representatives and give them the VIN number of the car to get an estimate of how it will affect your premium. One thing people do not realize is that different insurance companies have different "appetites" for cars. Just because your current company was the cheapest for your old car does not mean they will be for the new one. Make sure your broker checks all available companies and does not take the easy way out by just doing a "substitution". You will be surprised at how much better the rates get when one shops around and negotiates. Ask your insurance representative how many companies he checked for you and keep him on his toes. This is because it is your money we are talking about.
• GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING: I am typically not a big fan of cynicism, but I will make an exception here. Never take anybody's word for it. A handshake means nothing without a written contract. Anything the dealer promises you, politely ask if you can get it in writing, if they refuse, you probably do not want to buy a car from them. Most of the time though, they will concede. When they fail to deliver on a promise, it is not likely because they are liars. It is often most likely because they forgot about you as soon as you drove off the lot and went right on to the next customer. They sell maybe a hundred cars a month. You buy only one in 5 years. Just get it in writing, it will make everything a lot simpler.

    As far as embracing the new paradigm of transparency and authenticity in buyer-seller relationships, car dealers have along way to go. Sadly, most of them are way too entrenched in the tricks of trade to have open, honest conversations about their methods and motives. That is why buying a car often becomes more of a confrontation than a transaction.
     It does not have to be this way. I have a dream that people will one day be able to buy cars without the fear of being scammed. But, until that day, you have got to be informed. Do not be a jerk. Do not lay into salespeople. Just be ready for anything that might occur. The worst thing you could do is get caught off guard. Above all know your stuff.
     That's it! The 12 things to know before buying a car. Till I come your way again next week, until then, remain blessed.      

12 things to know before buying a car.

    Last week I promised that I will tell you 12 things to know before buying a car. This post is a fulfillment of that promise.
    Buying a car can be a daunting task, most people are not automotive experts, they just need a vehicle or a vehicle for transportation business. And, yes, people like the way certain models look or the way they zip along the road in commercials, but do not know the first thing about getting them into their driveways. Not all car salespeople are shady and not all car dealerships are trying to take you for everything you've got. The only way to hold up your own is to be prepared. Here are points to consider before going to the dealership.

1. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT AND WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD: As with buying anything, the first point is to consider your values and your limitations. What matters to you most? Do you need something big or small? something dark or light in color? Engine Horse power? safety?technology?stereo system etc. People care about different things, see what is available. Then, decide what you can afford either as a one time purchase or, as an installmental rent to own purchase. Look exclusively for those makes and models you know are right for you.
2. DO YOUR RESEARCH ON THE WEB: There is no excuse for modern day car buyers to be uninformed. Car experts provide neutral informative resources on the web that will help you make the best decisions. Even if you are purchasing a used car, I will still recommend that you actually shop for a car on the web to narrow your options down. There are good and legitimate sites on the web if you search.
3. ALWAYS SEE THE CAR IN PERSON: The phrase "condition of a car" is a highly subjective term that makes the salesperson face a difficult dilemma when asked about it.If you are buying a used car, it is not going to be perfect but the salesperson is at crossroads of either stating all its problems or not. Some salespeople take pictures and videos of the car but lighting makes them unreliable. So going to see the car for yourself is the only way to know what you are getting for sure.
4. YOUR CAR IS NEVER WORTH AS MUCH AS YOU THINK: It is all fine if websites tell you how much your car is worth when you put this information in there. But whatever number you get is worthless because those sites are not buying your car. Everybody has an agenda. While there are valuable resources on the web for information about makes and models, the trade-in values they give are not law. These sites rely heavily on ad revenue generated from those who go there to appraise their cars. Your best bet for realistic trade-in values is to take your car to dealerships and offer to sell it to them. The average you get from three or so dealerships should be a realistic amount.
5. EVERYTHING IS NOT ALWAYS NEGOTIABLE: If you find a rare car at rock bottom price that you are driving 90 miles to see, do not expect to haggle, the era of haggling prices is dead. The internet has killed the negotiation process. Most times, communicating with an internet department lets you negotiate price before walking in the door. If you have done your research and know what is out there, then you know the dealer will not drop the price because "No one pays a sticker for a used car". There are no more stickers. Internet pricing is very competitive so don't expect a huge discount or maybe don't even expect any discount at all if you find a car online.
6. SALESPEOPLE ARE NOT MECHANICS: Don't be surprised if your salesperson does  not know anything about the mechanics of a car. (He did not study the technical mechanics of a car, He studied sales, He is now only practicing his sales with cars). Salespeople mostly know all the options and features, what makes the vehicle safe and comfortable--you know, the things that really matter to you. But, for example, if you want to know why your car is making a noise, a bad salesperson will make up a reason that sounds good, and a good salesperson will say "I don't know". So always ask a mechanic. H e is the one that has the technical knowledge of the mechanics of a car. He will tell you why your engine is making a noise or why you are having any other problem with your car for that matter.

      We have gone halfway, we have taken six of the twelve things you should know before buying a car.
This is the much we can take this week. But if you have gained and been enlightened, then keep a date with me next week as I bring you the second and concluding part.
       We shall look at the remaining six. That is the other half of the 12 things to know before buying a car. Keep a date with me till I come your way next week.  

own your car in 2 years----6 (last tip)

     Welcome reader, this is the last post in our own your car in 2 years series. We have covered a lot of ground in the last five weeks. We have taken at least one tip/strategy each week. You are by now familiar with the subject of getting to become a car owner in two years. We have looked at the subject from all the three perspectives of a driver that wants to become an owner, a civil servant/corporate employee that wants a car for private use or a business man that intends using a car for commercial transport services.
     This week, in this post, we shall take the last tip and summarize all we have been learning so far. We started in the first week by proving that it is possible to become a car owner by financing the purchase through a two year rent to own program.
     You learned that the first tip is finding your motivation and really deciding that you want to become a car owner within a two year period.
     The second tip you learned was to know yourself in relation to the type of car you intend to own. It was also about having a strong enough why for ownership to help you when things don't go as planned.
     The third tip was about knowing what type of car appealed to you and why. You learned that you needed to research very well before making a choice.
     Tip number four taught you how to plan your course of navigating the not so easy road of paying for a car in installments over a two year period. This is because technically you are not yet a car owner until you have paid in your last installment.
     Now, we are going to take this week's tip/strategy which is the last and concluding one in the series. So our last own your car in 2 years tip/strategy is :
                                                      WORK YOUR PLAN
     When last week I gave us the tip that you should plan your work, I made it clear that whatever category you belonged to, you had to have a plan.
     So when this week I say you should work your plan, I mean you really need to stick to your gun and stick to the plan. You need to give your plan all it will take and all the persistence it will require to see it through.
      If you are a commercial driver aiming to become an owner, your transition is the hardest to make. This is because like I said last week, certain expenditures for maintanance that your owner used to shoulder will now become your responsibility. You will need to take this along in your stride. You will be taking on this responsibility even though your weekly/monthly installments might even be greater than the balance you used to deliver to your former owner because you are on a rent to own program.
      You will have to really work your plan as to sticking to budgets concerning maintanance of car, maintanance of home and family, personal responsibilities e.t.c. Whatever the case may be, I say you should just stick to your plan and make adjustments when necessary.
      As a civil servant/corporate employee that is aiming to use a car for private purposes, remember, it is the same salary you were getting before you decided to buy a car that you will still be getting. And you will have to make provisions for a certain percentage of that salary towards financing your weekly/monthly installments and maintanance.
      You are going to be doing this despite the fact that all your other financial commitments are still the same or might even be rising. You then need to sit down and map out a realistic plan and stick to it.
      If you are the business man that is aiming to create a transport business service, you will need to plan very wide as you have to consider your driver and the routes he is going to be plying in your plans.
      Your plan will be wide because you are making plans for owning a car and a business plan for a business at the same time. Whatever happens, please just be sure you have a plan before you start out and stick to the plan.
       This is all we are taking in our own your car in 2 years series. Next week when I come your way, we shall be looking at things you should know before going out to buy a car. See you then. 

own your car in 2 years-----5 (tips)

    Own your car in 2 years series will this week look into the DOING part of getting to own a car in 2 years through a rent to own program. All along what we have been looking at in the past were all the tips/strategies that are concerned with the BEING part. We have tried to define exactly the kind of person you have to BE in order to be able to DO the things you are supposed to DO which is what we shall begin looking at this week, so that you can HAVE the outcome you desire of getting to own a car within a 2 year period.
     If you have stayed with me this far, then, I believe you are psychologically ready, you have found your reason for motivation and you are adequately motivated. I believe you now know yourself and your cause, your personality, your emotions, your risk tolerance level etc in relation to cars.You also know what your WHY is, that is the cause of your striving to become a car owner in two years. This should be your chief personal reason for wanting the transition of becoming a car owner. I also believe that from the above you now know and have made a decision concerning the exact car you desire to own.
     So at this stage that you have made this decisions based on the research and thoughts you have had, you have now gone to the dealership, stated your mission, made your choice and maybe you have even test driven the car, you have negotiated the purchase contract, you have been given your total purchase price and your weekly/monthly installmental payment amount, you have agreed to the terms and contract papers have been signed. The car has been issued and you have driven off the lot and gone home, your family, friends and well wishers have all gathered round the car to appreciate it and maybe say prayers and give you some words of encouragement because they know you have technically not paid for the car eventhough it is parked in your driveway.
      At this moment of reality what should be next? This question is what is going to bring us to our own your car in 2 years tip/strategy number 5 which is:
                                                                  PLAN YOUR WORK.
      If you fail to plan, then you have automatically planned to fail. This saying is just as true for owning a car as it is for any other thing in life. You need to plan how you are going to go about becoming a car owner especially as a commercial transport business.
       If you are a driver that is aiming to become an owner, the first thing you should consider is that certain expenditures for mantainance that your former owner used to shoulder will now become your responsibility. You will need to plan your working hours/days, your route and your work/mantainance roaster because mantainance is also an integral part of car ownership.You will need to calculate how much work you need to do in a day and how much is the amount you need to generate to cover all the expenses that your budget contains. You will need to know what percentage of your income you will budget for each of, instalmentall repayment, vehicle maintanance, home/family upkeep,weekly/bi-weekly servicing of the car, periodic changing of tires, periodic renewal of vehicle particulars, personal savings, incidental savings for the car in case you need to carry out major repairs in the future and savings for re-investment that gives you the opportunity to grow.
      If you are a civil servant/corporate employee, you have to take all the budget percentages we discussed above and consider them in relation to your salary. How much can you spare monthly from your salary, a fact that should have been a major factor in the first place concerning the type of car you have chosen to own. You will need to consider all these and more but the most important thing is to have a plan.
      As a business man planning to own a commercial transport service business, you need to plan the most, because your driver has to be automatically considered in your plans. You have to involve him in certain aspects of your plan because he happens to be the one that shall be working with the vehicle. You also need a system in place that shall measure progress since you are running a business and nobody wants to run a business at a loss more so as you have to be paying instalmentally for the vehicle you are using.
     This is not all there is to planning your work as regards cars but all the points I have made here are supposed to serve as a basic foundation which you can build on. I believe if you do that, then you really can get to own your car in 2 years. That will be all for this week till I come you way again next week.   

own your car in 2 years---4 (tips)

   Welcome reader, our own your car in 2 years series is back once again this week. Last week I gave us tip/ strategy number two which was all about knowing yourself and your why (cause) in relation to the vehicle you will like to own. This is very essential because it helps you stand firm on all commitments needed to ensure that getting to own the vehicle of your dreams within a 2 year period becomes a reality especially the issue of weekly/monthly instalmental payments which requires a lot of discipline and deligence to see through.
    There are a lot of car options out there that sometimes making a choice becomes confusing more so with the volume of promotional advertisements we are bombarded with on a daily basis. This week our tip/strategy shall focus on how you can sift through all the options and advertisements to make a choice that shall be most appropriate for your personality and cause which is the first reason why you want to own a car in the first place.
     Buying a car can be a daunting task. Yea, people like the way certain models look or the way they zip at high speed along the road in commercials but do not know the first thing about purchasing them. The only way to hold up your own is to be prepared by reading informative content such as this.
     Our own your car in 2 years tip/strategy number three is:

                                                    KNOW THY CAR.
    Our previous tip/strategy was about knowing yourself, your personality and your why (cause). This week our tip/strategy is about knowing what car fits that personality and that your why (cause). To help you understand the point I am trying to make I will like you to look at the pictures of the cars below then continue reading. 

   Yes, I hope you now see my point. You can never like the cars equally. So know the one you like, the one that makes something click inside of you and think owning it in relation to why you want to own a car.
    For you to fully understand what I mean when I say know thy car you should consider the following points before making your decision.

• Know what you want and what you can afford.
• Do your research on the web.
• Always inspect the car in person.
• It is not every time that you are in a position to negotiate more so if you are buying on credit.
• Salespeople are not mechanics and so cannot give you mechanics details of a car.
• Salespeople are afraid of you the customer just like you are afraid of them.
• Beware of hidden fees in your purchase contract.
• Your credit does matter a lot.
• Go with the best interest rates.
• Remember your cars insurance.
• Let everything about the purchase contract be in writing and signed by the dealer.
• If there is anything you do not understand about the contract, ask questions.

   These are all points you are supposed to put into consideration when thinking about purchasing a car. These points will go a long way in your decision as to which car will suit your personality, your why (cause), your payment schedule and ultimately your pocket.I believe you now have enough insight to help you decide what kind of car you should go for.
   Next week we shall begin looking at tips that show you the actual things you have to do in terms of actions to be taken to implement and actualize your plan to own your car in 2 years. See you then.