If you need additional help with determining your trade ins value to a dealer, please email me and I can help. By the way, you'll need to expect to get less trading your vehicle in to the dealer than selling it on your own. There are some benefits though. By trading your vehicle in to the dealer you will not have to do any selling, telling, or explaining to an assortment of interested buyer's, have random people come to your home to view the vehicle, and you won't have two payments to make each month.

If you do expect to sell the vehicle on your own, I'd recommend posting it for sale online with one of the large car websites that are out there. This way you'll get maximum exposure, and you'll have a description with photos of the vehicle posted, which should save you a lot of the selling, telling and explaining to people that may just be kicking tires.

#5 Get insurance quotes. I can't even begin to tell you how many customers I've seen go through the whole buying process (usually hours), get all excited about their new vehicle, maybe agreed to $50 a month more in monthly payment, because they had to have that one, and then they call to get insurance quotes. Two words, Big Mistake! Using the same scenario above, the customer is already paying $50 more a month than they had figured and now they call for insurance only to find that their insurance is going to go up another $60 a month. This can be disastrous to your financial future!

Remember there is more to car payment than the actual car payment itself. Get insurance quotes before you ever go to the dealership. It's FREE, and doesn't affect your credit, so let the insurance companies compete for your business.

#6 Be prepared. Now that you've got all your ducks in a row, print all related information you've found and bring it to the dealership with you. If you really want to fluster the car dealer, bring a financial calculator with you and use it while you're negotiating, car salesmen love that (sarcasm).

I hope my affection for the Internet really came through to you. For car shopping/buying the Internet is truly the way of the future. It's a very easy way to gain knowledge, which translates into leverage for you. Remember, a vehicle is typically the second largest purchase you'll make, and if you don't do your homework a car dealer will make you pay. Trust me I've seen it every day for the last nine years.

Take care and beware, J the Car Guy

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