I have been boat shopping in the Ontario Canada market now for 2 months and here is what i've learned about it. direct points no fluff. I've talked to over 100 sellers in the last 2 months:
1) Fiberglass boat market is down huge, aluminum is up
2) Most sellers are delusional
3) Too many people bought boats high at covid and cant mentally accept selling for their current price. It's a constant game of "no i cant sell to you at that price, i'll be losing too much money" vs "I dont give a damn as the buyer, im not going to be upside down instantly"
4) Alot of the value of fiberglass boats are in the trailer. Deals without a trailer should seriously be 50% less of an offer on your end. If something happens with the boat, there is no fall back to salvage literally anything, plus you will have transport costs.
4) Probably 10:1 people hiding something to people being honest straightforward and sensible
5) If you're buying a 22ft+ boat, you're the one with 100% of the leverage. Usually the seller is really wanting you to bail them out of their hemmorage situation. If you don't use a big boat, it eats you alive.
6) The value of buying a boat that was on the water this season is huge.
7) If buying a sterndrive that has sat for a year, be very ready to dump 1500+ into maintenence. If its carbed, possibly more.
8) JD power values (converted to canadian) are mostly right but the trailers are never valued in right. a tandem trailer should add like 4K
9) This deal is about you, not them. Never over pay. Never pay more than the JD Power boat-only value. You WILL have to exit the boat. Remember that
10) For sterndrives, consider maintenence intervals on bellows and gimble bearing. The outdrive is a huge component and if they say something like it needs an impeller, just remember that you would always do the seals with that, so price that in.
11) Get service records. The value of seeing something on a sterndrive engine like "Gear oil is mikly" can tip you off about water getting past seals, and potentially things like bent prop shafts, resulting in knowing it needs a lower unit, allowing you to shave that off your offer.
12) Don't pay for your idea of the experience you will have, pay for the condition of the boat.
13) Boats 20+ years old, current condition is way more important than what kind of boat it nessisarily is.
1) Fiberglass boat market is down huge, aluminum is up
2) Most sellers are delusional
3) Too many people bought boats high at covid and cant mentally accept selling for their current price. It's a constant game of "no i cant sell to you at that price, i'll be losing too much money" vs "I dont give a damn as the buyer, im not going to be upside down instantly"
4) Alot of the value of fiberglass boats are in the trailer. Deals without a trailer should seriously be 50% less of an offer on your end. If something happens with the boat, there is no fall back to salvage literally anything, plus you will have transport costs.
4) Probably 10:1 people hiding something to people being honest straightforward and sensible
5) If you're buying a 22ft+ boat, you're the one with 100% of the leverage. Usually the seller is really wanting you to bail them out of their hemmorage situation. If you don't use a big boat, it eats you alive.
6) The value of buying a boat that was on the water this season is huge.
7) If buying a sterndrive that has sat for a year, be very ready to dump 1500+ into maintenence. If its carbed, possibly more.
8) JD power values (converted to canadian) are mostly right but the trailers are never valued in right. a tandem trailer should add like 4K
9) This deal is about you, not them. Never over pay. Never pay more than the JD Power boat-only value. You WILL have to exit the boat. Remember that
10) For sterndrives, consider maintenence intervals on bellows and gimble bearing. The outdrive is a huge component and if they say something like it needs an impeller, just remember that you would always do the seals with that, so price that in.
11) Get service records. The value of seeing something on a sterndrive engine like "Gear oil is mikly" can tip you off about water getting past seals, and potentially things like bent prop shafts, resulting in knowing it needs a lower unit, allowing you to shave that off your offer.
12) Don't pay for your idea of the experience you will have, pay for the condition of the boat.
13) Boats 20+ years old, current condition is way more important than what kind of boat it nessisarily is.
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