First time MH buyer


spat61

New Member
I am looking at a first time buy of a 66,000 used MH. That is the asking price. The two prices in NADA , with options included are 52,240 low, and 62,700 high. I am not a negotiator but I don't want to buy at the wrong price and pay too high even though I like the unit. Is there a good rule to follow for a proper price without insulting the owner? Thanks.
 

C Nash

Senior Member
Re: First time MH buyer

Why worry about insulting the owner. If it's for sale he should be glad to get offers and he can always say no. I would start with low NADA without adding options.
 

hertig

Senior Member
Re: First time MH buyer

Average retail is the average price paid to a dealer, for a unit which is 'ready to sell' including detailing. With good bargaining, you should be able to get a unit for less than this, at least halfway between that and low retail, which is the lowest price a dealer 'has charged'. Note that these values are a guide only, and may have changed since the data was gathered. Still, this is the value banks and insurance companies and other consumers use, so it is wise not to pay more than average retail, or you will have paid 'more than it is worth'. With sales tax, registration and other charges, perhaps much more...

The wholesale value is what a dealer is 'supposed' to have paid for the unit. Good luck selling your unit to a dealer for this price :) but it does provide an estimate of what a private seller can expect. If you are buying from a private party, it is 'polite' to pay more than this value, but less than low retail, because a private party is not a dealer, and so does not provide the advantages a dealer (supposedly) provides, but he did go out of his way to sell it himself rather than settling for what a dealer 'should' pay. A private party should not 'expect' to get retail.

Note that all of these values assumes nothing except normal wear and tear is wrong with the unit. Anything which is 'broken' must be deducted from all of these values. For instance, if a unit has a wholesale of 50,000, a low retail of 55,000 and an average retail of 60,000, but has a broken refridgerator which would cost 1000 to fix, the values of the unit should be 49,000, 54,000 and 59,000 respectively.

It doesn't take a genius to be a negotiator. Figure out what the unit is worth to you, see what the 'asking price' is (the first offer) and make a counter offer (less than your 'target price'). There will probably be much wailing and knashing of teeth, but this is all histronics. Pay attention to absolutely nothing said, except one of the 3 acceptable responses: 1) Sold, 2) a counter offer (must be less than his previous offer) or 3) 'Get Out!' If you do not get one of these 3 responses, walk out. If you really like the unit, you can always call again in a while, and there is a fair chance you will get a call with a counter offer by the time you get home anyway.

You 'cannot' insult the seller. You might annoy the heck out of him, but if you are worried about insulting him you should not be buying from him (or perhaps anyone except a store which clearly indicates that no bargaining is allowed), and if he gets insulted by your valid negotiation techniques, he should not be selling anything.

Worry more about flushing money down the toilet than 'insulting' a seller.

I don't have a clue what the actual value of the unit is, but based on the numbers you provided, I presume 'average retail' would be about 57,500, and so I would not pay more than that unless there was something very special about it. My target price would probably be about 54,000 from a dealer, and perhaps 50,000 from a private party.
 

av8rix2

New Member
Re: First time MH buyer

I just purchased a brand new vehicle with a MSRP of $91,000. I researched all available like units(all over the US) with varying options. I told the dealer to make me an offer. I was called 3 days later, and I paid $69,900. IMHO most RV buyers worry too much about the wrong things. I believe the MOST IMPORTANT thing to concern oneself with is the purchase price of your chosen dream machine. If you don't like the floorplan, if the unit is too large or too small, ect... just sell it and buy something else. This is why I believe purchase price is so important. I don't want to lose thousands of dollars when I sell. Buying a RV should be fun....

Check all available web sites that list RVs for sale. That is where you will find the answers that you are looking for. And remember, new RVs must be listed at MSRP, so call the dealerships and see what they have to offer YOU!
 
Top