Many people sell their boats in the current times of recession to tide over their financial crisis. They decide whether to see their home, car or boat during belt tightening. Banks may auction boats which may have been collected by it as collateral in return for a loan. When the loan remains unpaid banks put up these boats for auction. The boat can also be put for auction by a bank in what is called boat auctions because it may have been abandoned.

You can get a list of boat auctions from banks and financiers who may hold auctions which can be your best bet. The bank will wish to get rid of the boat as early as possible to regain the amount lost and to avoid maintenance cost on the boat. So such boats can be purchased at a great discount and you can get a discount of even as much as 50%. Less frequently, you can also buy boats in police auctions. You can check the listings of boats online and know what is available. You have to think of transport cost if you live somewhere else as it is going to be a large purchase.

You must also check the boat properly before purchase to identify possible damages and oil spills and stains etc. You have to be extra alert because the boats are mostly sold in "as is" condition in a boat auction. You must also check the condition of the engine because it can become very expensive to fix it once it gets repaired. You can check the places where repo boats are available if you wish to buy a boat but are not confident about arranging for initial finance! Many investors buy boats at 40%-70% discounts in auctions and resell them to people who have the affordability.

You can get fabulous discounts on bank repo boats and benefit from such deals. These boats were initially well maintained by people who cared for these boats. Wear and tear on such boats is also minimal because the use of boats is seasonal in most places. The repair work on such boats can also be minimal and may just require a coat o painting if any. Owners also maintain such boats very well for safety and insurance reasons.

Those who repossess boats such as finance companies and banks wish to dispose the same quickly because these are basically non-performing assets on their books. They are sure that they cannot get a very high price for the boats in these times of poor economic condition. Hence they wish to dispose the boats as quickly as possible.

You must take up research before buying a repo boat for personal use or from the viewpoint of investment. You can also find several auction sites that enlist boats for sale throughout USA and Canada.