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Stories from the Sales Frontlines
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I remember that there was one guy -I thought he was a dealer shill- who made private sales positively life-threatening.
Doofus.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Yes, IF I wanted one.
Richard
Here is the original listing
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Yes, IF I wanted one.
Then buy one for Fezo....he'd appreciate it.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
According to my Delray Beach brother, snowbird season doesn’t end until around Easter. I know you’re not an official snowbird since you have your own place but that’s all the more reason to stick around till at least then. My next door neighbor is a bird and I know I won’t see him until then.
Leaving this early just opens you up to all of the moochers around here. :confuse:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I must not understand the definition of "snowbird." If someone has their own place in FL they are NOT a snowbird?
I thought snowbirds were anyone from the frozen north who travel to FL during the December period and return during March typically. I gauge this by the number of MI and ON plates I see traveling I-75.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Eventually, we will stay longer too. We still have a business to look after and work to do back home. Plus, we are just getting started on this new lifestyle, so didn't want to over do it this year.
We do have a business trip, going to Atlanta in mid March, so will leave Atlanta and come down to Florida for the last 2 weeks of March. We are really starting to enjoy the Florida thing.
Temp is only mid 60s today, back to mid 70s for the rest of the week.Oh, I forgot, not supposed to mention that :sick:2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I think a "Snowbird" is here just for a portion of the year, then they go back up north for the summer months...that is if they own a place here or rent. Only full time residents are true Floridians. That's how I understand it.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Some snowbirds are what we call "Bluebirds". They drive those big bus campers around the Sun Belt and return home after Easter.
Richard
Clark Howard said exactly what I had thought. Now is a fantastic time to buy a house if you are moving up. Although your house is worth less the home you are moving up to is worth a lot less than it was....so you will actually be spending less than you would have to buy that luxury house.
But, I think 2800 sq ft is adequate for 2, and a new 2013 328 or 335 in the drive would sound pretty good too!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
New Car Heater
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
I am done, and should be a clean process. No drama
Congratulations on the sale and on the buy of the Volvo a while back.
Yes, having a car in good shape does all of the selling for you. Back in the 70’s and 80’s when I sold a few, I never had a problem. A body guy that bought one of my cars (not that it needed much of that kind of work) said to call him when I sold my next car. He liked the big block GM V8’s back then and my cars always had low miles for their age. Heck, the XG350 was nice enough (even without an engine) that the used car manager gave me $800 more for it on a straight sale than what he wanted to give me initially if I traded it two weeks before.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
You haven't been down there long enough. A full time resident of Florida is a transplant. Someone born in Florida and who has at least one parent born in Florida is a Floridian. I almost married one years ago. Had I done that and we had kids they might have not had full acceptance as Floridians since I was born in New Jersey......
Man, that guy was brutally honest about the BMW he is trying to unload. I know I wouldn’t have touched a BMW that old for all the tea in China. I know you take care of your cars but most people don’t that’s why I said what I did. It sounds like it has a LOT of nuisance problems which doesn’t surprise me. Just curious, what do you think he’s going to get for it as it sits?
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
I didn’t know that real Floridians were that snobby. Back in my real working days (all through the 80’s) I dealt with two companies in Southern CA not all that far from LA. The mentality of the people out there, at that time was if you’ve been here for 20 years we consider you a regular not someone who just moved here because of the weather/job then bailed because you realized that real estate ain’t cheap out here.
As far as snowbirds go, it was my understanding that a snowbird was someone who RENTED for the winter months then went back home after that. My brother said there is a term used (other than well off) for people who have homes there and only use them for the winter months but I can’t remember what he said they are called in his area. I know one thing, most of the regulars are very happy when the birds go back home because the lines at the restaurants return to normal and a goodly number of the older drivers are not on the roads anymore. According to my brother a lot of residents kind of resent the birds for that and some other reasons but he said he doesn’t mind it since they are the ones that tend to help hold down their taxes even if it is just a few bucks a year.
My SIL says she knows when it’s the beginning and end of the bird season by the direction the car carriers are going.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
It brought $3,100. It was probably worth half that at best.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
You lived in South Carolina and weren't aware that you were an outsider? :surprise: Southerners are very conscious of that. Even Southerners are outsiders if they move to another Southern location. When I married, we lived in my wife's home town for two years. Though I was a Southerner, I was often reminded of my "new" status. Some people even called me by my wife's last name! It did burn me up at times. I opened an account at the local garden center and charged some porch furniture. After 60 days had passed, I received no bill. When I inquired about it, the owner said that he sent the bill to my FIL. When I asked why, he said that he assumed that my FIL paid all of my bills! I went straight into orbit. I told him to get two things straight---my name and the fact that I paid my own bills. I was so glad when we moved from that "hell hole". In South Carolina, my wife and I both experienced the "outsider" feeling. It took four references just to join the country club. Though I love the South, it does have its "old guard". The younger generation has done better. Much of the DAR and the USC crowd has finally died off after years of deciding "Who's Who". Still, in the Pinehurst area, the natives will remind you pretty quickly that you're not "one of them". Yankees are considered a temporary annual nuisance whose purpose it is to stimulate the economy. Unknown to many, there are actually "Bye, Bye Birdie" parties when the snowbirds return to their homes. :sick:
Richard
I didn't think there was any one who was actually born in Florida. I thought they all came from somewhere else. Actually one of the tennis guys is a native of Florida, but I am pretty sure he is the only one out of about 15 of us.
We Snowbirds keep this place going. Apparently the restaurants and other businesses are really quiet when the Snowbirds leave. I think as with any place, the full time owners will have some resentment. But, there are 76 units in our community, about half are full time residents, the other half are Snowbirds and about 1/3 of those are Canadians. I would hate to see what would happen to property values if the Snowbirds weren't here.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I have a feeling in this area the Snowbirds are welcome because the place would be really deserted without us. Some stores close during the off season, that's how quiet it is. I am sure it is nice and quiet about having about half of the 76 units empty in the summer, but, it would seem like a ghost town....so I think the people here prefer it when we are here.
Canadians can only be out of the country for a maximum of 6 months in a year, or we lose our medical benefits. A friend we visited said he couldn't move his arms or hands all of a sudden on the golf course. They took him to the hospital and he stayed overnight. Great hospital by the way in St Petes. Bill for one night and to read the reports.....$12000.
It was paid for by the travel insurance he had, but they won't pay if it happens again.
One woman here had a similar experience. The insurance company paid for her flight back to Canada on a Lear jet, it cost less to get her back to Canada than if she went into a hospital here.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Talk about bum warmers....holy!
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
It is the 2nd time it has happenned. I said, it is under warranty, why not take it to the dealer? She said the dealer is about 40 minutes away (actually all dealers are at least 40 minutes away) and it is easier to let AAA tow the car in to town.
When is a warranty just about useless? When they know the small stuff won't come back any way.
On Clark Howard a caller said her 40 inch TVbought from a big box store broke down and she just paid the warranty again, $125 after 6 years. She called because the TV stopped working and it was on the wall over the fireplace. Big Box Store said they won't fix it because they didn't install it there.
Clark was almost in tears;
Don't buy those warranties because they will do everything possible to get out of it.
Don't buy warranties, she must have paid about the same for the first 6 years so now she has paid $250 for warranties. And now you can buy a brand new 40 inch TV for a little more than $300.
His advice, take it down off the wall and tell them to come back and fix it.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
To be fair the Floridian I almost married was in a real Florida town - not a tourist town. Fernandina Beach. The very first town as you cross over from Georgia. It is on Amelia Island which can be very touristy but this is an old town. Two paper mills. Neat old Victorian houses. A little misunderstanding about her flexibility in living anywhere else kind of did us in.
You have left many broken hearts wherever you went. I think in this case you made a good move not marrying and living in Fernandina......not much work at paper mills these days.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I'd have not worked in a paper mill (her dad did for maybe 20 years after retiring from the Coast Guard). It's an easy commute to Jacksonville so I'd have found something but things worked out for both of us (better for me in my opinion but hey...).
I'd have been fine living in Florida. Don't mind hot weather and hate cold.
That reminds me of my brother. He was supposed to get married when he was 19 but my Mother talked him out of it, said he was too young. The girl was absolutely heart broken and called every day.
50 years later, she married an American, a doctor, has 3 kids and grandchildren, my brother was so scared he never got married. She is one very lucky lady.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Your meds are either under or over.
Could be worse for cold. I could live in Connecticut......
Oh yeah, I was made well aware of that when I was contemplating moving down South. I talked to several friends who had already moved there and they told me in no uncertain terms that was the way it was down there. They said, “if you think you’ll be accepted don’t bother coming down here. The work is good and the weather is even better but they are still fighting the Civil War down here and being a Yankee we are not accepted. Oh, they will be nice to you but that’s about it” (probably that “bless your heart” thing you’ve mentioned). I remember saying, “c’mon it’s 1992 already”. Everyone said, “believe me, the war is still on down here”. :surprise:
The other thing I got a kick out of was how you are judged by the community you live in. That’s why as soon as you’re introduced to the locals they wanted to know exactly where you lived, not just the area. We happened to live in a community that was dubbed by the developer as Blah Blah Estates. When I was asked where I lived I said, “Blah Blah”. I’d get, “where is that”? When I told them they usually said, “oh, Blah Blah ESTATES. Why didn’t you say that to begin with”? The best one about this was when we bought our alliances at a place in Augusta. Of course the appliances had to be delivered but since the house was not completed when we bought them I told them that they’d have to make the delivery in about a month. Got to talking to the salesman and of course he wanted to know where we were moving, so I told him. He marks on the delivery instructions some kind of code and when I asked what that was all about he said, “don’t worry, I’m taking care of you by doing this”. Huh, like I was going to get a better delivery truck and a better crew to deliver my appliances. :confuse:
Unknown to many, there are actually "Bye, Bye Birdie" parties when the snowbirds return to their homes.
That doesn’t surprise me one bit.
We enjoyed our 5 year stay in SC but we always knew it wasn’t going to be permanent for us.
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
A very loud boat pulled into it's slot right near us.
It's name was 'Another Damn Yankee'. :surprise:
Cold!!!! Try going to Canada where all that cold weather's from. Then you'll know why so many people in Florida are from Canada. It's a chance to defrost.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Was i close on the math?
Worse yet you could live in upstate NY or (gasp!) Canada. It's so cold there that some people go as far as buying houses in warmer climates to escape to. :shades:
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Your math is right on. If you want to check go to
convert Fahrenheit to Celcius
My extremes would be similar, though I went to school in Edmonton Alberta one year and it can go down to -30F. They have car warming posts in the parking lots there, you just plug in. If you didn't get a spot you had to go out and start your car at noon or it wouldn't turn over by the afternoon.
The warmest, 114 in Phoenix in May....we went there a lot for sales meetings...out of season. I remember the weather guy on tv saying temperatures would cool off and it was going down to 106 the next day :sick:
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Is there an echo in here? :shades:
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
It should be written into our constitution that we can have a grant to buy a home in the southern USA. I think I'll use that as my platform when I run for Prime Minister.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
Back in the early 70’s here in the Burgh I remember when the overnight low was -23 F for a few nights. That was when I had my ’67 Chevy which sat outside because I had too much stuff on one side of the garage to get it in. I didn’t have a warming post but I did put an extension light (100 watt bulb) on the intake manifold and covered the hood with a blanket. Believe it or not the car started every morning. I cleaned out that side of the garage after that and we’ve never had that kind of temperature since then. I’m sure the people here in the Burgh think it’s Global Warming but I know the real reason.
The warmest, 114 in Phoenix in May....
I was there in May for a couple weeks back in the late 70’s but it never got that warm. It was great, high 80’s with looow humidity. I remember mentioning how nice the weather was to one of the guys at the company I was visiting and he said, “yeah, now. Come back in July or August and then tell me how much you like it”. About 5 years later I was out there again, in August, (same company) and when we left for lunch at around noon it was 115 F when we finished lunch it was 121 F. DON’T TOUCH THE STEERING WHEEL (they were plastic back then).
jmonroe
'15 Genesis V8 with Ultimate Package and '18 Legacy Limited 6 cyl
Other than the insane taxes and car insurance I'm perfectly happy in NJ. I think I may be the only person in the state that actually likes it.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
What I don't get is how does any one work in that kind of climate. Office work I can understand, but being outside just zaps all your energy. How do construction people, roofers, etc. work in that heat. Even in sales, I get to my call and I don't want to get out of my car.....at both, warm and cold extremes.
I didn’t have a warming post but I did put an extension light (100 watt bulb) on the intake manifold and covered the hood with a blanket.
You could have been a millionaire...the first Snuggly for your car.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I don't know. Our neighbors moved to Tampa from Ohio. Here they have a beautiful 3 bedroom home, for about $160k, beautiful grounds, pool and clubhouse, quiet tree lined streets, and no snow or ice......I know which one I would choose.
But, I do think there is something to be said for, you make your home what it is wherever you are. What makes your home good to you is the friends, family, work and activities that you do...if you have those, you can be happy in most places.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
You get used to it is what I often hear from people there. Outdoor workers start the day early - typically before sun up - and quit by noon or 1 PM. They also wear wide brim hats and often long sleeves and long pants to keep the sun off them. Lastly, they hydrate. 2 gallons of water and still no pee type of hydration.
I worked in construction here in Boston for a couple of summers in college. When you are outside everyday you acclimate. Here it was the humidity that sapped your energy.
The weather people were funny ... it's "warm" so long as the daily high was under triple digits. Only after it got over 100 did they use the word "hot".
And I survived it all in a car w/o air conditioning. Two open windows and a pair of sheepskin seat covers were all I needed.
Always kidded with people that I needed to spend a few years in Buffalo to even things out. I guess after almost 19 years in Colorado, I've earned the right to move somewhere warmer.
Maybe someday.....
Here in the South, we have plenty of 100+ degree days. Roofers go up on the roofs at dawn, but have to be off the roof by 9 AM. The materials just get too hot. They return around 5 PM and work until around 8 PM. Construction workers, electricians, plumbers, etc. work in short shifts---two hours on, two hours off, two hours on, etc. Naturally, they use lots of water on their bodies and drink plenty of it as well. Still, it's hard work.
Once when I was in Karachi, Pakistan the temperature was 135 degrees. Our Pan Am plane had to unload half of its fuel. Otherwise, we would have exploded at the point of take-off. It wasn't what I would call a comfortable feeling.
Richard
Richard
Very true. My family has pretty much been grounded here. Just about everyone lives within a 10 mile radius. Heck many in the same towns (or one town over).
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
Didn't even think of that.....what strange hours to work just to keep from keeling over from the heat.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I was thinking of that the other day when the temperature was around 80....oops forgot, not supposed to mention that.
How did we survive without air conditioning in our homes and in our cars?
Can you imagine? I was told we have to keep the air on all year long or mould can grow in a day. The population of Florida would be about 27 people if it wasn't for air conditioning.
And, I wouldn't be able to go any where in the car, my wife doesn't like having the windows down and the air blowing around. Thank goodness we are around today.
Oh yes, Happy Valentines Day every one.
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
I can see where that probably contributed to your fear of flying.
That would have done it for me. :sick:
2017 MB E400 , 2015 MB GLK350, 2014 MB C250
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2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic