John,

sorry it didnt work out. selling an old boat can be a bich especially if the surveyor doesnt understand performance boat values. the guy that bought mine used:

David Davis S.A.
Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors
International Association of Marine Investigators
American Boat and Yacht Council
573-216-0742

i thought his survey was extremely fair to both me and the buyer even though he was working for the buyer. you might suggest him in the future to a potential buyer.

good luck

Maybe, but if I were buying a boat, I would agree to a sales price PENDING the outcome of the survey.

It's no different than agreeing on the sales price for a house pending the outcome of the appraisal.

After the survey was done, the two parties could have finalized the negotiations. But, once the "Bayliner" insults started, the deal was over.

Just my two-cents.

Thanks Steve, I'll keep him in mind.

I think ,"ON A MISION" you should take that Bullet for that price.

It is defenatly the survayer who screwed up in this case.


Nice boat JIM.

That's a sh!t head post - financing on an older boat is hard to come by. Seller's should realize that, and they should also realize that people shopping in that price range most likely don't have disposable cash sitting around. When I bought my boat we negotiated a price and then began the survey/loan process - if you don't do it that way how in the hell do you know how much to approcach the bank for? For a first time boat buyer that was how I approached it and it worked fine - the seller understood that I was financing the boat and that I was going to have to have the ducks in a row to do so.

The seller isn't out anything except a small amount of time to get the boat surveyed.

Ona-mission - I saw you were looking for Cafe's on another post. I sure love mine - hopefully your encounter is a blessing in disguise.

Good Luck

I will suspect that most buyers for this type of boat will be looking for financing, so either a better surveyor needs to be found, or the value isn't what you think.

Might be worth it to have this guy SteveH recommended do the survey, and see what the "value" really is.

I just don't think that most buyers of old boats in this price range will have the cash, but there is sure to be one out there.

Personally, I'd be interested except for the paint (once I'm officially shopping anyways), and I'd have to finance when the day came as well, and wouldn't quite have too much to put down. I think many would be in a simlar situation.

I'm just guessing here, but...

Let's assume that the buyer has a bank that will finance 90% of the "survey" price, and the buyer has the other 10% in cash. However, if the survery comes in lower than the seller's bottom dollar asking price, then the buyer has to come up with the difference in cash. If the buyer doesn't have the extra cash, he can't buy the boat.

It doesn't matter if the seller is asking a "fair market" price. The survey came in low, the bank will only finance 90% of the "survey" price, and the buyer doesn't have the extra cash to make up the difference.

However, insults won't make the situtation any better.

Why take a shot at the guy? He is just frustrated and having just bought a used boat I can tell you it is a frustrating process that requires both seller and buyer to be open and calm about the whole thing. Did you pay cash for your 46 Cig? Do you even own a boat? You arent doing yourself any favours (Canadian for favors) taking nut shots at guys on here.

In the end the buyer is in control, especially the way the market is right now. I knew that when I was buyng, I didnt act like a jerkoff because of it but if my seller tried making me sign contracts and **** based on an agreed price before any survey was done or any 'real' time and money was put into the deal I would tell him to shove it and go find another boat.

Money is too hard to make and there are too many boats to waste your time, especially when the seller takes it personally and throws personal insults.

I like that Bullet- it looks clean and it is a neat boat, I am sure the right guy will come along, maybe he can trade in a Bayliner as a downpayment??

I understand the frustration from both sides. If I really wanted the boat I would take the value per bank/surveyer (i.e. highest amount they will finance) and tack on as much as I could afford to put down..........and make the best offer I could make. If that doesn't work either you've got to save more or it wasn't meant to be. Probobly wasn't meant to be............these things usually work out for the better. The same thing happend to me and I cursed the bank but looking back on it I sure am glad they would not do the note. Now I've got a great boat at a great price with a great note. Couldn't be happier. Good luck to ya.

I suspect Ona-mission would have been doing this exact sequence, had he not been told to go finance a bayliner.