Buying a car right now

[Bliss149]

I'm wanting to get out of my 2008 Town and Country and into a Prius V because of climate control and gas mileage.

Everyone knows its a bad time to buy a car. But when you are looking for a very specific vehicle, it seems impossible.

You find one on Carvana or CarMax or whatever and within a VERY short time, it is marked as "purchase pending." I am wondering if you can have someone check out the vehicle or if you pretty much just have to pay your money and take your chances. Maybe you purchase on contingency that it passes inspection?

 

[Honeys Park]

I hear you, and I almost always take my chances. But a fair number of van dwellers register their vehicles out of South Dakota purely to avoid the inspection angle. America's mailbox for example.

 

[TrailerManNJ]

I'm wanting to get out of my 2008 Town and Country and into a Prius V because of climate control and gas mileage.

Everyone knows its a bad time to buy a car. But when you are looking for a very specific vehicle, it seems impossible.

You find one on Carvana or CarMax or whatever and within a VERY short time, it is marked as "purchase pending." I am wondering if you can have someone check out the vehicle or if you pretty much just have to pay your money and take your chances. Maybe you purchase on contingency that it passes inspection?

Look up my thread below this one maybe 2 or 3 down. I just went through a MONTHS-LONG ordeal, exactly like you are now. I wouldn't wish buying a car on even my worst enemy in this market...especially a used one...and even more especially one that's too far away to see in-person. Again, I went through ALL of this.

Good news is, it can obviously still be done...as I myself did it. If you want to do the entire process RIGHT - as opposed to chancing everything - be prepared to spend a LOT of time searching online, to encounter many dead-ends, and to up your budget higher than you might have planned for. This is probably the WORST buyers markets that has ever existed...and I mean that literally.

DEFINITELY get the car inspected!!! Especially if you aren't mechanically inclined and/or if the vehicle is too far away to have a professional look it over. While these services are expensive and aren't perfect, they'll at least provide peace-of-mind that you aren't buying a complete clunker.

The 2 services I used were Lemon Squad & Pomcar. I found Pomcar to have slightly better vehicle reports, and their customer service is a bit more attentive.

In closing...don't look for perfection in a vehicle (unless you have the cash to back it up or infinite time to invest), as it's difficult to find in this competitive market. And DON'T RUSH. If you indeed plan on living in your vehicle, much like purchasing a home, you need to go slow and do your research. You'll want your car to last (at least) 4-5 years, as that'll provide you with the time to grow your nest egg, so if the vehicle breaks down or you want to get something larger down the road, you'll have the financial means to do so. If you make a rush decision and wind up with a lemon, that can put a major damper (or death knell) on your nomad dreams.

 

[Bliss149]

Look up my thread below this one maybe 2 or 3 down. I just went through a MONTHS-LONG ordeal, exactly like you are now. I wouldn't wish buying a car on even my worst enemy in this market...especially a used one...and even more especially one that's too far away to see in-person. Again, I went through ALL of this.

Good news is, it can obviously still be done...as I myself did it. If you want to do the entire process RIGHT - as opposed to chancing everything - be prepared to spend a LOT of time searching online, to encounter many dead-ends, and to up your budget higher than you might have planned for. This is probably the WORST buyers markets that has ever existed...and I mean that literally.

DEFINITELY get the car inspected!!! Especially if you aren't mechanically inclined and/or if the vehicle is too far away to have a professional look it over. While these services are expensive and aren't perfect, they'll at least provide peace-of-mind that you aren't buying a complete clunker.

The 2 services I used were Lemon Squad & Pomcar. I found Pomcar to have slightly better vehicle reports, and their customer service is a bit more attentive.

In closing...don't look for perfection in a vehicle (unless you have the cash to back it up or infinite time to invest), as it's difficult to find in this competitive market. And DON'T RUSH. If you indeed plan on living in your vehicle, much like purchasing a home, you need to go slow and do your research. You'll want your car to last (at least) 4-5 years, as that'll provide you with the time to grow your nest egg, so if the vehicle breaks down or you want to get something larger down the road, you'll have the financial means to do so. If you make a rush decision and wind up with a lemon, that can put a major damper (or death knell) on your nomad dreams.

I thought i had read your post but apparently i had not. It contains the info i was looking for and I need to just delete my post, if that is possible. I think i may just hold on to the T&C to see if things are better in 6 months.

 

[wanderlust]

Carvana seems to allow you to buy a car first, inspect it within 7 days, and even pays for necessary fixes. I haven't used it myself, but there is big reddit community with lots of advice how to use Carvana correctly (and what can go wrong during the buying process).

 

[wanderlust]

Look up my thread below this one maybe 2 or 3 down.

I assume you are talking about this post, correct?
https://vanlivingforum.com/threads/car-market-is-insane-now.44595/

 

[Bliss149]

Carvana seems to allow you to buy a car first, inspect it within 7 days, and even pays for necessary fixes. I haven't used it myself, but there is big reddit community with lots of advice how to use Carvana correctly (and what can go wrong during the buying process).

This is so helpful. Thank you!