sounds like you got a plan, I agree, keep the toys separate from the house, I have a couple rentals that when it's time to sell will finance my boat upgrade.

Finance atmost half make double and triple payments and have fun! AND build a bigger TOY BOX!!!

I think the key definition here should be that "ALL TOYS (even women) SHOULD BE BOUGHT WITH DISPOSIBLE INCOME" Whether or not that income is financed or cash is not the question or the answer. The income must be disposable and you must be able in all condtions to maintain that level of disposable income spending PERIOD!
If you use this philosophy you should in any ecomomy to maintain your TOYS and such (even women) you will do just fine!!
Keep it Simple!!

Best Regards,
Ray @ Raylar

all I know is that the last 3 Big boats I have bought were ALL bank repos, and we have done well on all of them. Always paid cash, and sold them @ the amount I had in them or more.
Dean

Sweet idea. I like the "used, but loved" situation of a repo. Concerned about reliability but do the repo's tend to have warranties remaining? Do you have a dealer who does the repos or just word of mouth?

yachtauctions.com is all I know about. They still don't have many go-fasts in their inventory.

It's highly unlikely they will raise prices due to low volume. However, they don't want to lower prices because people will stay away, thinking they will continue to decline. Look at teh auto industry, they didn't drop prices, just raised rebates to draw more sales. It's the same effect but perception is different. Rebates are temporary.

I don't have much experience in the new-boat-buying side, but large rebates are inevitable once credit starts flowing. Then, when things stabalize, they will reduce or eliminate the rebates and . . . wallah. . . prices are high again. Works better on the consumer's psyche.

Pete, when you are ready to upgrade let me know. I'll make you a deal.

only about 20% of the people pay "true" cash for boats

some cash comes from home equity and other people get loans and drop the money into there accounts and pay with check

It seems that the recent 'comformists' were people that borrowed more than they could afford because they were comforming to society's trend.

I like consistent, modest growth over bubbles and bursts. Watching the last few bubbles form, I decided that keeping my overhead down and delaying expensive toy purchases, and now it's paying off.

I vey well could steal a large waterfront house on prime land and put a mack-daddy rig on the lift and pay far less than others did a few years ago. But that's my opinion. We'll see what pans out.

But I try to make large toy acquisitions in a manner that allows me to control their disposition, not the market trends or slowdowns.

Buying cash is control over amount of insurance,amount you can use it,if huge repairs and surprize damage occurs you will be using credit for that also is the begining of the enduse it long enough it owes you nothing!my 02