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If you cant make it out there to lok at it yourself then go ahead and let the local you have take a look and take plenty of pics etc and let him do his thing...if he says its all good and the pics look good then put a small deposit on it...very small...like $100 to hold it till you can get a true survey done. If that checks out then i would proceed with this...but i personaly would still go and see it in person.....mint to someone else can be a pile of crap to you.....as Boatnt and i have learned recently. :(
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I have pretty much decided I will go look at it unless the local tells me it just isn't worth it, which at that point I will just walk away. If he gives it a good review then I will be on a plane ASAP to check it out.
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Back when i was looking for a 25-28 ft single engine boat(11 years ago) I chased after 15 different used boats thru out Mi, Ohio and Indiana, the only one that WASN'T a pos was sold by the time I got there, the rest were GIANT disappointments and I had a budget up to 45,000. I got so frustrated after 3 months I ended up just buying a new one.
As far as buying one ever without seeing it in person, I wouldn't consider it under any circumstances thinking back about all the junk I was promised was in mint condition that I chased after, Smitty I am local to you, my shop is 15 miles east of Saginaw and I have a Baja 272-PM me with your phone # if I can help you with any questions |
Originally Posted by heavyhauler
(Post 3451774)
There are many different ways to go about the transaction. In today's hi tech world, these kind of transactions are as common as going to the grocery store. If you are having an inspection from someone you trust, they may be able to lend credence to the other party's reputation as most shyster's aren't going to let you inspect the property in the first place. Typically if you are satisfied with the condition of the property upon inspection, you could draw a contract as to whatever terms the 2 parties are willing to agree to. Normally you will have to pay for the property before it leaves the sellers premises, via any method agreeable to both parties. If you have doubts about the other party's credibility, you either don't deal with them or you have to go deal with them in person. I have bought automobiles, trucks, boats, heavy equipment and airplanes from online advertisements, pictures and have used third party inspectors all over the United States and have yet to have a problem, although there is always a first time and if it were it would probably be with a high performance boat. I have bought a few things I didn't inspect myself that I was less than happy with after the purchase, but I can only blame that on myself for not doing the inspection myself. You can do an escrow without involving a lawyer via your bank in most states, it is just a matter of having a proper agreement and understanding of both parties and a financial institution that is handling the transaction if a transfer of funds is involved.
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There is no way I would purchase a boat without looking at it first, and getting a professional survey done beforehand. I would probably have a member of the OSO community take a quick look at it before I ordered the survey, however.
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I purchased our 28' back in May of last year from a couple in Michigan without ever seeing it in person. I'm not saying it was a smart decision, but after getting a good vibe after speaking with the owners, having the highly recommended reputable surveyor tell me it was in mint condition and everything looked great, I decided to buy it without personally seeing it. I also had the previous owner send me many, many pictures which helps if you cannot fly out to see it. They still had a loan on the boat which made me feel a little more comfortable as I knew we would be dealing with his bank and not him. We paid his bank and they sent us the title. We then arranged for the pickup of the boat, which was at a marina. I'm not saying this was the right way to go, but we lucked out and did not have an issue. The boat arrived in MD and was just as pristine as the owner and surveyor said it was. We have no regrets as we love the boat. I would highly recommend the following transport company as they did a great job transporting our boat and they are near you in Michigan. http://www.greatlakesboathaulers.com/index2.html Good luck.
Go with your gut, if it does not feel right, it probably is not! |
If the guy is looking at the boat for you sat at 11am, then you fly in Friday night.
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How much is the boat? I'd buy one sight unseen if it was a no bullsh!t price. Survey is hit or miss like has been posted. If you're that worried I assume it's a big purchase and fair price for the boat. If that's the case fly in Friday night and have the local guy show you what he's looking at and why. That way it's an education as well.
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my first 2 boats i traveled 900 miles for the 1st one and 1200 miles for the 2nd one. the 3rd i had shipped from california to ny sight unseen besides pics. but i had a good relationship with the seller and over the last couple years had a ton of conversations and come to find out he is originally from my home town and know alot of the same people. more than happy when it arrived but it was a gamble. i just got lucky and was dealing with a honest stand up guy. take a road trip and go get it. you will probably break even vs the cost of shipping. that wasnt cheap for me!!
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Holy old thread!
This thread is 18 months old. Doubt advice will help much. Too bad we never heard the end of the story. |
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