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Help me Buy a Used Car (1 Viewer)

TripItUp

TripItUp

Footballguy
So basically, I'm a frugal SOB...and really don't want to pay a dealership all of their BS fees, pay the state sales tax(7.5% in CA)...not to mention the 5K drop in value when you drive it off the lot.  I don't need financing and have had some pretty bad dealership experiences.  I figure I save at least 10k by purchasing from an owner 1 year used.

I am targeting a 2016 or 2017 4Runner here in SoCal.

My questions are the following:

1) Is a cashier's check the standard form of payment?

2) aside from signing over the title, what else needs to occur for the transaction to be complete?  

3) to ensure the title is clean, do I use Carfax or is there a better service?  Do I have to use Carfax or is the onus on the seller?

4) Do I use KBB.com to determine a fair price?

5) if the car is being financed by the original owner, how does that get taken care of?

Thanks for the help!

 
Last edited by a moderator:
TripItUp said:
So basically, I'm a frugal SOB...and really don't want to pay a dealership all of their BS fees, pay the state sales tax(7.5% in CA)...not to mention the 5K drop in value when you drive it off the lot.  I don't need financing and have had some pretty bad dealership experiences.  I figure I save at least 10k by purchasing from an owner 1 year used.

I am targeting a 2016 or 2017 4Runner here in SoCal.

My questions are the following:

1) Is a cashier's check the standard form of payment?

2) aside from signing over the title, what else needs to occur for the transaction to be complete?  

3) to ensure the title is clean, do I use Carfax or is there a better service?  Do I have to use Carfax or is the onus on the seller?

4) Do I use KBB.com to determine a fair price?

5) if the car is being financed by the original owner, how does that get taken care of?

Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...
:blackdot:

 
I avoided taxes using swapalease.com - greatest auto experience of my life. Found someone who leased a car 6 months ago in my state and needed to get out. The taxes were paid upfront by them plus a huge cap cost reduction, I just took over the low payments. 

I’d recommend checking out, & if you’re in an upfront tax state and you’d be willing to lease, you can save boatloads. 

 
fantasycurse42 said:
I avoided taxes using swapalease.com - greatest auto experience of my life. Found someone who leased a car 6 months ago in my state and needed to get out. The taxes were paid upfront by them plus a huge cap cost reduction, I just took over the low payments. 

I’d recommend checking out, & if you’re in an upfront tax state and you’d be willing to lease, you can save boatloads. 
Click to expand...
Good idea, only issue for me is that I put a lot of miles on my car as I commute up to Orange County from SD a couple times per week.

 
culdeus said:
What makes you think you avoid state sales tax buying pp
Click to expand...
buying from private owner, not dealer...or has the govt. figured out a way to get sales tax on these sales as well?

Nevermind, it looks like CA charges sales tax on private owner sales.  :kicksrock:

 
Last edited by a moderator:
"States that do not charge a sales tax include New Hampshire, Oregon, Delaware, Montana and Alaska. Where You Register the Vehicle: You can only avoid this tax if you purchase the car in a no sales tax state and then register the vehicle in that state as well."

So there's basically no way to avoid paying sales tax if you live in California. :kicksrock:

 
TripItUp said:
buying from private owner, not dealer...or has the govt. figured out a way to get sales tax on these sales as well?
Click to expand...
I believe when you transfer the title in CA there is a section where the price sold has to be listed.  

Obviously in private party cash sales you can lower the actual amount some, but listing $5,000 on a $25,000 blue book value would raise some red flags. 

 
CA is stupid because sales tax is paid multiple times on the same car when sold again as used.  Should only be the sales tax when it is purchased new.

 
tjnc09 said:
CA is stupid because sales tax is paid multiple times on the same car when sold again as used.  Should only be the sales tax when it is purchased new.
Click to expand...
seriously, although it looks like almost all states charge sales tax on used cars.

 
fantasycurse42 said:
I avoided taxes using swapalease.com - greatest auto experience of my life. Found someone who leased a car 6 months ago in my state and needed to get out. The taxes were paid upfront by them plus a huge cap cost reduction, I just took over the low payments. 

I’d recommend checking out, & if you’re in an upfront tax state and you’d be willing to lease, you can save boatloads. 
Click to expand...
Aren’t you super rich?

Why are you buying used?

 
fantasycurse42 said:
I avoided taxes using swapalease.com - greatest auto experience of my life. Found someone who leased a car 6 months ago in my state and needed to get out. The taxes were paid upfront by them plus a huge cap cost reduction, I just took over the low payments. 

I’d recommend checking out, & if you’re in an upfront tax state and you’d be willing to lease, you can save boatloads. 
Click to expand...
This site sucks.  They all say for sale - off lease.

 
tjnc09 said:
CA is stupid because sales tax is paid multiple times on the same car when sold again as used.  Should only be the sales tax when it is purchased new.
Click to expand...
:confused:

A sale is a sale. Does your state not charge taxes at thrift stores like salvation army or Goodwill? 

I mean, it would be nice if they didn't charge tax but it's hardly stupid on the government to charge tax on used vehicles when the used market is 75% of the total vehicle market (by volume, not price).

 
TripItUp said:
So basically, I'm a frugal SOB...and really don't want to pay a dealership all of their BS fees, pay the state sales tax(7.5% in CA)...not to mention the 5K drop in value when you drive it off the lot.  I don't need financing and have had some pretty bad dealership experiences.  I figure I save at least 10k by purchasing from an owner 1 year used.

I am targeting a 2016 or 2017 4Runner here in SoCal.

My questions are the following:

1) Is a cashier's check the standard form of payment?

2) aside from signing over the title, what else needs to occur for the transaction to be complete?  

3) to ensure the title is clean, do I use Carfax or is there a better service?  Do I have to use Carfax or is the onus on the seller?

4) Do I use KBB.com to determine a fair price?

5) if the car is being financed by the original owner, how does that get taken care of?

Thanks for the help!
Click to expand...
Why people just go to the dealer and let them handle all the questions you have.  

 
Binky The Doormat said:
Do you mean "why don't people just go to the dealer ...".  

Your syntax is almost as bad as your advice.  
Click to expand...
You assume I am asking a question instead of making a statement. And you used a "." instead of a "?" at the end of your question.  :thumbup:  

It wasn't advice, but "an" explanation of why many people go to the dealer instead of dealing with private parties to buy/sell cars. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
TripItUp said:
So basically, I'm a frugal SOB...and really don't want to pay a dealership all of their BS fees, pay the state sales tax(7.5% in CA)...not to mention the 5K drop in value when you drive it off the lot.  I don't need financing and have had some pretty bad dealership experiences.  I figure I save at least 10k by purchasing from an owner 1 year used.

I am targeting a 2016 or 2017 4Runner here in SoCal.

My questions are the following:

1) Is a cashier's check the standard form of payment?

2) aside from signing over the title, what else needs to occur for the transaction to be complete?  

3) to ensure the title is clean, do I use Carfax or is there a better service?  Do I have to use Carfax or is the onus on the seller?

4) Do I use KBB.com to determine a fair price?

5) if the car is being financed by the original owner, how does that get taken care of?
Click to expand...
1) Yes, but with private party I would expect them to do some sort of validation if they are smart.  There are different options here, among them just meeting at a branch location where you have funds and drawing it with the seller present if it comes to that. 

2) You need to get the state to issue off the signed title into your name however this done where you live, this is where you pay sales tax and other fees.

3) Carfax just tells you if the car has had serious issues in the past, won't give you a sense if the guy is underwater

4) In general, yes.  An offer to private party should be in the ball park of mid range KBB if condition is good.  Carmax offers basically the mid point between mid/high KBB so even at the mid range you will likely be considered a baller.  

5) The title is in the lienholder name until it is paid off, if there is a loan you will have to go to where the car was financed from to do the transaction if the seller doesn't have the cash to pay it off.  

 
Phil Elliott said:
You assume I am asking a question instead of making a statement. And you used a "." instead of a "?" at the end of your question.  :thumbup:  

It wasn't advice, but "an" explanation of why many people go to the dealer instead of dealing with private parties to buy/sell cars. 
Click to expand...
Thanks Phil.

 
I don’t know if there is a better service than carfax but from my experience the reports even for the same car are inconsistent. When I bought my  2013 Dodge in 2014 I was given a clean carfax report. When I sold my 2013 Dodge in 2017 I had a buddy in the car biz run another carfax report that I could show to the potential buyer. The report in 2017 showed a minor accident in 2013 that was not listed on my original carfax. My buddy said they are not always accurate. 

 
Beef Ravioli said:
I don’t know if there is a better service than carfax but from my experience the reports even for the same car are inconsistent. When I bought my  2013 Dodge in 2014 I was given a clean carfax report. When I sold my 2013 Dodge in 2017 I had a buddy in the car biz run another carfax report that I could show to the potential buyer. The report in 2017 showed a minor accident in 2013 that was not listed on my original carfax. My buddy said they are not always accurate. 
Click to expand...
Thanks, Beef!  I would imagine that this is a lot closer to the kind of insights Trip was looking for (me too).  

 
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