Make Offer!
 

When searching for a used boat and you find one in this market, what would be a good rule of thumb to go by on making a offer? 10%, 20%, 30% off of the asking price etc.?

I say, make an offer for what ever it's worth to "you".

All they can say is no, they might be a little pissed off but life goes on

I guess it depends on how realistic the seller is to begin with. I think most people factor in a little wiggle room in their price. Others, base price on what they owe, others are just plain CRAZY!

Make an offer that you would pay for it, dont make an offer that if they say yes, makes you think about it. I have sold a few boats and people call and say "will you take $$$$for it". And I say yes and they say "ok, let me think about it". If you make an offer, it's an offer, stick by it. Sorry for venting, selling is just frustrating at time :)

Make the offer on what you are willing to stoke the check for if he says yes. :drink:

Scott,

I'm in the same situation. There's no "rule of thumb". You have to understand that not every listing is posting an unrealistic price..... some of them are steals as is. If you're interested in a boat, call! Really. You won't get any good information over an email..... the seller almost always leaves something out (not purposely). When you call, have your questions ready. Try to get a feel for the seller position(1) Has he got an offer yet?(2) How long has the boat been up for sale. (3) If used in salt water, what was the maintenance care consisting of, flushing, how long (4) How bad does he need to sell.
Take all of these into consideration when making an offer. If you're looking at a $70,000 boat that's been for sale for 2 years and the dude hasn't got an offer and NEEDS to sell, adjust your offer accordingly. Good luck on your search, there's a ton of boats going up for sale this past month......

I don't know why Sellers think that email inquiries are less sincere than phone calls. Personally, I like everything in writing. Sure there's something to be said for a Seller leaving something out, but there's also something to be said for a Seller stating in writing that the motors are untouched Merc. Power, or Teague Power, etc., and has X amount of hours, over that same Seller having a phone conversation about it and later denying that it is what he said, or later saying that there was some "misunderstanding."

Additionally, there are a lot of people that have a sort of phone anxiety, or they just don't want to bother someone/live in a different time zone, making email an easier method of communication. I would personally advise a Seller to take any inquiry sincerely, but a lot of people seem to think that emailers are insincere.

Comments like that make the "salesman" in me kick in. The next time they ask "will you take $$$ for it", simply ask them, "Hmm, I dont know if I can do that. IF I determine that I can sell it that low, will you buy it for that? I ask this only because I have had alot of wannabes call me on this boat, and if you are not willing to buy it for that, it really doesn't matter if I will sell it for that"

Now, on the other hand, when I am the buyer, it is OK for me to ask :drink:

BINGO !...dont worry about what i will take for it...worry about how much your willing to buy it for

Is that a question or an offer?

It's just a tough call to make on price. Do you give much credit to the NADA values? I've heard sellers say that they listed their boats a like 30% less then the NADA value and had a quick sale. Just some of the boats I have looked at prices have been as different as $10000.00 for the same year and model boat.

I agree with this....

Guy called me about what is now my boat. He said ill drop the price to x. My response was well i wasnt really looking to buy right now and the boat isnt worth what your asking.

Not to hurt your feelings but this is what the boat is worth to ME in the condition its in. The price i gave the guy only had a couple thousand range in my head that i would be willing to shift. I Could have cut the guy even worse and shot even lower but thats just causes bad blood. I was hard but straight. It took him some thought on it but the offer bought the boat.

I look at any purchase as what is it worth to me. Cause I have to be happy with the price in the long run.

Do your homework and know what the boat is worth before you enter into a discussion with the seller. The worst feeling in the world is to make an offer and have the seller accept right off with no counter offer. You know you just over paid. I am never shy about a low offer to start. If the boat has been for sale a while and you know it really needs to be sold, go real low and see what happens. The seller always feels the boat is worth more than it most likely is and the buyer needs to bring it down. I have found some guys just list their boat to see what comes out of it and they really don't need to or want to sell. Watch out for these people in that they will give you a false sense of what a particular model is worth. I know I might take some flak for this, but it is your job to buy the boat for the least amount possible with both parties feeling a win to make it work. Remember, in this market, any offer may be good to a seller who can't make their mortgage payment and by not making an offer, you could be hurting them more than the insult of a lowball offer.

Just don't be an A-Hole when making your offer. I was selling a 21' Scarab w/trailer (I am in the Great Lakes - Detroit Area) a few years back. I had a guy show up (drove in from Southern IL) and after wasting an hour of my time, broke out a NADA sheet for a 21' Scarab with no options or trailer listed and even the wrong motor and proceeded to tell me my boat was not worth nearly as much in "his area" according to his NADA sheet. The way he did it wasn't cool and immediately ruined any possibility of negotiation. I told him "this boat isn't for sale in YOUR AREA" and then proceeded to tell him to get the hell off my property.

Long story short, had he negotiated properly instead of telling me how much my boat wasn't worth and having a NADA Sheet with the correct options listed he probably could have got me down. Instead he pissed me off so bad I probably wouldn't have sold it to him for $2k more than I was asking..... It doesn't hurt to lowball, if done the right way. Just don't go into it cocky... As the saying goes you get more fly's with honey (or is it $hit).... Oh hell I can't remember............

+1 :drink:

Many ppl selling their used boat in todays market are desperate for money,, so get them as low as you can... Normally you'll just meet them somewhere in the middle....

Buyers market..!!!! especially if you have cash...

And how many boats have you bought? Just looking for credibility here!

How many boats have you sold and bought? Is this personal experience? Is this fact? Tell me more. Please. :bong::food-smiley-007:

Scott, you've gotten some sound advice here. Get a feel for the seller, his situation, the condition of the boat, and most importantly a feel for the market FOR THAT BOAT. Don't forget, giving a low offer is not bad when its the only offer. Don't be a dick about it. Don't down talk the boat. Just be realistic. Best advice I can give. Good luck on your search. Im sure you'll make out fine.:coolcowboy:

but he's SOLD & Traded alot of these guys LMFAO :lolhit:

Look,, I havent bought or sold alot of boats in my life,, however im smart enought to know that NO FOOL pays full price for anything used,, however most ads say " no reasonable offered refused..." So just spend what its worth to you,, the worst the seller can say is NO.....

Nice happy meal pics RHR:eek:

I fixed your post for U!

Correction. You probably haven't sold any boats in your life. By the way, when you say "life", how many years are we talking here? 12? 15 at most? Did you do these deals or did you watch daddy do them?
Wrong, again. Some of those "full priced" ads you see are steals as is. Just another one of your opinionated answers (based on zero experience might I add) you're trying to state as facts.
Something tells me you read that somewhere...... :popcorn:

Poker Run
 

Hi Poker,
This would be an example of the type of thread to read and enjoy but do not post unless you have personal experience to add. As a teenager, I used to hate when my grandfather gave me advice and told me how it was cause I thought I knew way more than an "old fart". He passed away without me realizing that he was actually ten times smarter than me in a subject called wisdom that I could have never known much about at a young age. I missed a chance to learn from him all he had to offer. Please don't make the same mistake. This people on this website probably have the largest collection of knowledge and wisdom about your future passion you could ever find. Don't make them mad or loose respect here. It is an asset to you if you want to be in performance boating one day .

See if there are other boats exact for sale &compare them then throw your offer at him!

:poopoo:

They also may be selling to take advantage of other deals and not out of desperation.

correct ran into that when I was buying...just let me know when you get desperate to move your MTI :drink::lolhit:

Look at every comp available this usually gives you a good idea of what it is worth. Then make an offer based on what you are planning to do with the boat. If you just want a boat to use for a couple of years and unload understanding that you will loose some money, then look at comps that are a few years older. Nothing is in stone and different boats hold their value better than others, but this has helped me in the past.

A boat, or anything for that matter is worth EXACTLY what the buyer is willing to give, and the seller is willing to take. As a seller, if you can make the value of the boat in the buyers eyes higher than the price you are asking, it can be a done deal. This includes giving it the best presentation possible.

To base an offer on the asking price is nuts. The seller may be asking $20,000 too much in your eyes, so offer them that. I have also run into cases where the seller underpriced what they were selling, based on the value that I put on it. If I would have followed some ridiculous "rule of thumb" I would have missed out on a great opportunity to own something that I really wanted. True value is never based on an asking price.

For credibility purposes, over the past 30 years I have bought boats, cars, houses, rentals, and companies amongst other things, and I have never felt like I have paid too much. I don't fall in love with stuff and will walk if the deal is not right for me and my needs.

Not there yet but I'm sure it wont be long:picard1:

This doesn't really pertain to making a offer, but when buying a boat which is miles away, how can you go about doing this. Some are close enough to drive 6hrs. to check out but some are much further. I've read of other boaters on OSO buying boats out of state sight unseen. I understand about getting a survey and all, but surveyors have their fees and I would like to know if the boat was in somewhat decent shape before I forked out the cash for a survey. Also should a offer be made and agreement of the sale price before a survey? Thanks for all the great information so far. Very informative.

If I get my boat sold in a week or two, I plan on flying out east to look at one I am interested in. I can fly out for the weekend cheaper than the gas to drive 15 hrs one way . Plus my wife would like a romantic weekend get away. Wonder where shes going.:grinser010:

Ooo, thats easy. Just post up the location of the boat. A member might live within 15 minutes of the boat. Couldn't tell you how many times someone posts up if anyone can check a boat out for them.

Do all your homework on what you are going to buy. Get as many pictures and info from the seller. If all is to your liking make him a offer. Tell the seller it is all contingent to a inspection and sea trial. If it what you want make the deal. If not renegotiate or just walk away. I drove over 17 hrs to get my bike.

I just bought a boat in Portland and I live in Atlanta. We just hopped a flight out and drove the boat. I would NEVER buy sight unseen, but some guys do. I love the concept of asking for a locale OSO member to help. Someone here on the site would be happy to be your eyes and ears if you can't make it out to look at every boat. I know I would.

Just to make a related comment on this, I'm in the process of looking at 30 to 33 foot express cruisers and when I called my insurance company ( State Farm ) for what a quote would be on a particular model, they also made mention to check the boats value range via the NADA guide. I didnt ask them this, but I assume they also use NADA when they are determining a total loss value.

Now that everyone has given me great information, who knows anyone out there who is financing performance boats?

Credit Unions

Checked with my CU, they only go back 5 years. Looking at a 1997.