What I can't understand is, what changed in only 10 years? Why/how have new boats gotten so much more expensive? Home prices and incomes are largely the same comparing 2006 to 2016 (or very close). So why has something like a 28FT Nordic or Sunsation gone from $60/80K new (2006) to $100/$140K (2016). Were boat builders selling them at a loss in 2006? It just seems that the prices of new boats have gone up disproportionately to the costs of other luxury products. This large gap is also propping up the prices of the 2003-2008 boats today, because you can't replace them for those prices any longer.

This seems a fair comparison by sorts. In 2001 a black motor 35 lightning was 200k. Add some options and blue motors 250k. This was pre boom/recession. I don't think 2006 is a fair comparison in any way because everything was or of whack from 05-08.

sadly trucks are no different. Trucks have doubled in price in the same time frame. A fully loaded Dually used to be less than 40kwoth a duramax

https://www.google.com/amp/www.caran...?client=safari

http://www.boats.com/reviews/red-hot-5297/

You can have a really nice place on the lake or a Merc 1350

Trucks and cars seem to have gone up as well, yes. I was looking at 2017 F250 Super Duty King Ranch the other day and it was $79,000 MSRP! That same truck would've probably been $49-59K max in 2003-2006 (or less). I'm not complaining, just making observations. The incomes in this country just haven't increased by the same amounts as the prices on cars/trucks/boats. But hey, if people are paying it....

yep, people are paying it at 0% for 72 months! Didnt see those kind of rates ten years ago. Prime fell to an all time low and not until last month's meeting did Janet raise them .25. With our new President, there is lots of optimism, which breads confidence, which manifests is spending....No, I am not in Finance nor am I an Economist...My .02

Same here. Just making observations that it isn't just boats. In all reality housing is below where it was in the 06-08 "boom" I don't know where it is compared to say 01 which I'm using for the truck and the boats.

I agree that "cheap credit" is partly responsible. If we'd had real interest rates the past 5 years, and not some artificially created economy, I highly doubt that housing prices would be creeping back up to the 2007 levels again. But they are in most places, and the banks and real estate companies are doing it all over again.

Another point is that the fed is trying to raise interest rates back to normal, it'll get ugly for boat values if they pull it off

Most parts of S. Florida are back to boom prices (or higher). Boston/NYC are setting all time high records in already crazy expensive markets. Toronto is at levels never seen before in history.

I spent Thanksgiving with a distant relative and he told me his house in Minnesota is approaching 200K......he paid 89K 25 years ago but in his eyes it is almost doubling his money and was thrilled! Town is remote and has less than 2000 residents.

Banks and insurance companies already treat hi-perf stuff as step children in the marketplace especially if it is older (15 yrs+).