Stories from the Sales Frontlines

dino001

Oh c'mon - renters insurance is not even close to owners. Real estate taxes exist on a different plain that all others. If you trully subtracted interest and taxes and still come up with 200 grand than what can I say - you did very well - probably better than S&P and better than most of us. So congrats. I just see so many other people fooling themselves and believing in their real estate savvy that I did have to check.

houdini1

Yes, and you are going to lose at least $20,000. in depreciation every 5 years on that $30,000. car so that is $60,000. down the drain in 15 years.

You at least recoup your cost/expenses when you sell a house. Not so with a car. That cash is long gone. It is called appreciation vs depreciation.

On the Edmunds home page there is a True Cost To Own calculator. A typical $30,000. car will actually cost you an average of $10,000. a year to own and operate for the first 5 years. Check it out.

sterlingdog

And don't forget the chemicals and upkeep for the pool over a period of years.

I once sold a house to a doctor who definitely didn't want the pool. What did I do? I took it up. He was nice enough to split the cost with me and I still made money. I never wanted the pool either, but we just liked the house that much.

You did really well at those pre-construction prices. I will admit that living in a resort area involves higher prices for groceries, gas, clothing, etc. We buy bulk when I am out of town on business if we can.

You are fortunate not to have to pay property taxes on your automobiles. I wish that we had that luxury. We even pay a golf cart tax to the village because we drive them on the village streets.!

sterlingdog

Glad your hiccups are gone! Now you can keep them away by not blowing so much hot air. :P

houdini1

Yeah, and I think I know what caused that hiccup problem. Remember Foster Brooks?

sterlingdog

You're right. The renter's insurance isn't as much, but you still pay something there.

Remember, I never made 200k on a house. It was between $30k and $70k.

I agree with you about some people. There are those who brag about their profits. I was always happy to make some profit so that we could move up to a nicer house. We've been very fortunate to be able to do that. With both of us having been in education, it was a nice way to save some money and have a nice home at the same time.

sterlingdog

Ahhhh, yes. You know, he might contract those hiccups again.

jmonroe

Was it Mack or Moo who drove 30 miles to jump some woman in a previous post?

C'mon 'farmer' you gotta help me out here. If Mrs. jmonroe finds posts like this, it will be the hammer she's been looking for.

She's told me more than once she can't believe a bunch of guys could talk so much about buying cars. She says there has to a lot more than that going on here...she just has to find it.

All you guys, watch how you say things. Most woman don't understand some of the lingo used here. I can't be the only one that has a suspicious wife.

jmonroe

[Deleted User]

I can't be the only one that has a suspicious wife.

LOL, My wife will ask what I'm up to and I usually joke around and just say porn. She just walks away rolling her eye saying, "Oh that car place again..." :mad:

sterlingdog

I have to admit that there is no grammar lesson that will correct THAT post!

ibuyhonda

I have been reading the recent posts on this forum where posters have remarked how quickly cars depreciate. That may be true of most cars but there are exceptions. I recently purchased a new 2007 Honda Accord LX MT 4 cyl for $17,408 plus TT L. I passed the time waiting for my car to be detailed by looking at used Honda Accords on the dealer's lot. I noticed a 2007 priced at $18,925 with 11K miles which was almost identical to my car. I asked my salesman why my new car was $1,400 less than the same car used and he said that Honda's hold their value so well that sometimes they appreciate. Are there any other brands that appreciate?

jmonroe

I have to admit that there is no grammar lesson that will correct THAT post!

And it will only get worser if she catches on to what goes on here sometimes.

When I use the keyboard with only my left stump, it ain't gonna be pretty.

jmonroe

jmonroe

I asked my salesman why my new car was $1,400 less than the same car used and he said that Honda's hold their value so well that sometimes they appreciate.

Guess who changed their name?. But why so close to the old handle? Even I know who this is. :shades:

jmonroe

dino001

Ask him how much he would give you for your car. Since they appreciate, you should pocket out some nice profits and buy a new Honda again.

Now lets be serious for the moment - one guy asking too much for a used car does not make the market.

snakeweasel

Yes, and you are going to lose at least $20,000. in depreciation every 5 years on that $30,000. car so that is $60,000. down the drain in 15 years.

Yep and I will spend a heck of a lot more than that in interest and property taxes net of income tax savings on my home.

You at least recoup your cost/expenses when you sell a house.

Most likely you will not. Interest payments alone on a 30 year mortgage will be more than what you originally paid for the house. Add to that property taxes maintenance and other expenses you really have to stay in a house a long time and get a heck of a lot appreciation.

snakeweasel

And don't forget the chemicals and upkeep for the pool over a period of years.

Oh I haven't forgot that. All I am saying is that a pool will add to the value of a house. Now remember I did say not as much value as it costs.

onepeople

Depends on where in the country you live. Here in Mass, a pool is a money pit that usually will make your house go unsold. Nobody wants pools here, due to the short summer and the costs to maintain. My folks have one, they hate it.

joel0622

Yes, this was the way it worked. Our old agreement with the UAW stated that we would keep XXXXX number of people working and XXXXX number of plants open. Ford was forced to continue to produce units not really needed. In around 2002 Ford went to the UAW and said, hey we need to do something about this if we want to stay alive. The Union threw the agreement in there face and said to bad.

It was so bad that if you did not order enough units when you weekly/monthly/quarterly allocations were due Ford would order the units for you and you just had to take what ever showed up, and what shows up was crap no one was buying.

It was good for the consumer in the short run because Ford was forced to put all these ridiculous programs on like 0% for 72 months for all tier levels, and Ford pricing for all.

Fine for the short run but it was like shoveling your drive way when you are 3 hours into a 10 hour snow storm, looks fine for a minute but in the morning you are right back where you started.

All those monster programs did was bring business forward. Folks that would have bought in the following months/years bought while the programs were going on, and all of our domestic competition was doing the same thing so it was not like we were grabbing + market share, we were just selling to the Ford faithful that we would of sold any how. So the end result was that even though we sold 250 in August we only sold 130 in a month in the following months where we have normally done 160. They also conditioned the average consumer to scoff at normal programs. "What do you mean 4.9%, there is no way I am paying that much", or "Only a $2500 rebate? You sure don't want to sell anything do you"

Not to mention how much fun it is going to be when it comes time to trade those folks out of those 0% loans and the guy with below average credit is suddenly looking at a 10%+ rate again and his payment will go up $100+. But at least they will have some equity and it gave the folks who truly wanted to fix there credit a chance.

I hope all that makes sense, I know what I am trying to say just not sure if it comes across like I want it to. I am not bashing FMC, I am just questioning there wisdom when they signed the UAW contract in the 90's when we thought we were 10 foot tall and bullet proof.

joel0622

Now thats funny

sterlingdog

Yes, but if the cost of the pool exceeds the added value, then where is your value in real dollars? Also, when you market the house, you've limited yourself to only the group who wants a pool. People with small children, elderly live-in parents, and pets often don't want a pool.

The up keep can run between $100-$200 per month depending on whether you do it yourself or use a pool company. Also, in warmer areas of the country, you use a pool more.

Perhaps we are comparing apples to oranges when talking about cars and houses. For the average owner, their house is still there after 30 years but their automobile is not. In fact, they have probably gone through 6 cars by that time if they trade every 5 years. Also, cars move and houses don't---not that this fact has anything to do with the price of eggs in China.

dino001

You make perfect sense. I remember when the zero percent war took off in 2001, the dealers were initial beneficiaries. The manufacturers were losing shirts, but dealers could not be happier at that time. For anybody who knew better it was obvious that it was on borrowed time - but like with the mortgage market enjoy while it lasts.

One thing that mystified me recently was a new Ford megadealership open just a couple of years ago. I couldn't believe it - everybody knew there were serious problems, the area is already overpenetrated (easy 15+ dealers in 50-mile radius) and somebody gets a brilliant idea of opening a Ford megastore. What were they thinking?

dino001

For somebody claiming to be a language expert, you seem to have reading serious comprehension issues All Snake said is you don't lose all the money you put into the pool - just some - as pool actually increases face value of the property. By less than its cost of construction - but it does nevertheless.

greanpea68

Not everyone buys them, so why just offer them during the sale and not put them on every car so those that don't want them have to take them.

Things that I am talking about that we add are Leather, spoilers, sun roofs, road block( the clear bra ).... We don't put them on every car but we do put them on so when we talk about installing some accesories customers can see the finished product instead of a sales guy just saying it looks nice... Once they see it they know what they are buying...

We don't just mark cars up to do it...

We are realistic here

GP

sterlingdog

First of all, correcting grammar and spelling has nothing to do with comprehension. Comprehension deals with reading context clues and memory sensors. You obviously have not comprehended your own response.

If you lose "some" money as you say and then subtract that from the "increases face value" as you say, you will be in the negative column. Been there done that.

BTW, "a language expert", which I never claimed to be, deals with the etymology of words and the interpretative translations of early Celtic tongues and nomadic languages.

houdini1

OK. We will just have to agree to disagree. If you want to depend on depreciating assets and the money you are investing in cars to help you out when you retire then that is your choice. I'll stick to real estate.

isellhondas

" Appreciate"?? Don't think so, not even a Honda.

That 5 speed won't help you in the resale department. Still, it'll do fine.

mackabee

I hear loud and clear what you're saying Joel. That's not a good way to run a business. Hopefully Jim Farley will straighten things out for you guys. I really do want to see American car companies succeed and be the benchmark of the world again.
Mackabee
p.s. My mom loved Fords and Chevys. We had a Chevy Impala 1959, a Chevy Nova 1969, an F-150 flareside I don't know what year. And my first car was a Ford. Yep, 1964 Ford T-Bird. It was a babe magnet back then. Bought it used for $800.00 and wrecked it the first night I owned it Car was never the same since. I took out the lights out on a country road for miles. I didn't handle a curve right and slammed sideways into a light post. Lucky for me I was not hurt. The car was never the same. Trannys kept going out. I guess I must have done some frame damage.

Mackabee

mackabee

"etymology"? how do you spell that?
Mack

chikoo

Plus your mortgage interest and taxes are deductible.

Really? do you get all of that back? Never heard of anything like that.

nortsr1

Perhaps this discusssion should be changed and put in a REAL ESTATE forum!!!!

chikoo

I just realized this.....all the old timers are

Member Since: Apr 13, 2001

jipster

Well, depending on the setting they would give them Haldol for the aggression and then Benadryl for the side effects of that med (such as muscular rigidity). Thorizine is like hitting someone in the head with a brick, It calms them down but there are better ways to do it

hmm, I think you should either stick with farming or go back to medical school. :P

It is fairly rare for Haldol's side effects to require Benadryl for EPS symptomology.
It is certainly something medical staff watch out for though. As for likening Thorazine to being hit in the head with a brick, well I've never taken it, but in all the children and adolescents I've observed taking it I've never heard/witnessed such an adverse reaction.

Agree... don't go car shopping hooked up to a Thorazine drip. :sick:

oldfarmer50

"...If Mrs. jmonroe finds posts like this..."

Dear Mrs. jmonroe,

Please excuse your husband from his regular session with the frying pan this evening. I was referring to post #19404 where nice Mr. Moo was telling how he rendered assistance to a young lady who had broken down on the highway. There is nothing fun going on in here at all, except when Mr. jmonroe is telling us what a wonderful woman you are.

Thank you for not hitting me,

Oldfarmer50

oldfarmer50

"...Are there any other brands that appreciate?..."

Yes, 5 year old Chryslers go up in value. A salesman told me that and I believe him...yes I believe him. :confuse:

epiney

Yes, this was the way it worked. Our old agreement with the UAW stated that we would keep XXXXX number of people working and XXXXX number of plants open. Ford was forced to continue to produce units not really needed. In around 2002 Ford went to the UAW and said, hey we need to do something about this if we want to stay alive. The Union threw the agreement in there face and said to bad

It's too bad that most of the car buying public do not understand this. All they know is, "Why does Ford keep making these crappy cars that no one wants to buy?"

Having to keep certain plants open meant it was better to make bad cars and sell them with huge incentives. As history has proved, this is not a way to success. Too bad it has taken a near death (Patient still in intensive care) experince to finally get some change. Hopefully it will be enough. I'd like to see the "Big 3" turn out some great vehicles and be successful again. The recent quality reviews are a great start. Now Ford just needs to be bold and less boring. That new Taurus is a fine car, but man oh so boring. Sales reflect this too. Lincoln needs to learn from Cadillac.

oldfarmer50

"...It is fairly rare for Haldol's side effects to..."

This really isn't the place for this discussion, is it? Let's talk real estate like the other guys.

epiney

Any car dealers running Black Friday Sales? How about 5 AM door busters? :P

How are sales the weekend after Thanksgiving anyways?

jescue

This weekend is usually sloowwww. :sick:

joel0622

Ours is a crap shoot. Our Friday business will depend on how hard the sales force works today and tomorrow setting appointments for Friday. if it all hinges on lot traffic Friday we will have a crappy day.

british_rover

Yeah hit and miss for us as well. I have a couple of appointments for Friday and a couple for Saturday already. I delivered two cars today and I am trying to get one more in this week but not sure if it is going to happen yet. I have one appointment for tomorrow as well so I am hoping that can be my third car for the week.

jescue

two cars before lunch today? :surprise:

joel0622

Now Ford just needs to be bold and less boring.

Thats next, here is the first step, which will be available in the Spring.



The Flex is aimed at those who need the room and convenience of a family vehicle but can't stomach a minivan and don't need the off-road features of an SUV. Along with a fuel-efficient 3.5-liter V-6 engine and 7-passenger seating, the Flex offers a ton of cool features — an interior refrigerator, second-row footrests, an in-car communications and entertainment system, capless fueling, a 2,300-song personal juke box, programmable ambient interior lighting, rear back-up camera, and a Multi-Panel Vista Roof.

jmonroe

Thank you for not hitting me,

Oldfarmer50

Why didn't you say "him" ? While that may work for you; it doesn't do a thing for me.

But thanks for trying.

jmonroe

british_rover

Only two cars for the week so far and I struck out completely last week.

chikoo

sweeeet

gogiboy

"Add ons can be After market roofs, after market leather, Road Block,..."

Green--

What in the world is roadblock? I'm envisioning some kind of extremely wide--but retractable-- bumpers that prevent other drivers from trying to slip past when the road narrows to one lane. There are many times that I could have used a set to prevent those folks who are better than me from flying past while I was patiently waiting in line.

Gogiboy

greanpea68

What in the world is roadblock? I'm envisioning some kind of extremely wide--but retractable-- bumpers that prevent other drivers from trying to slip past when the road narrows to one lane. There are many times that I could have used a set to prevent those folks who are better than me from flying past while I was patiently waiting in line.


That's a pretty good imagination. :surprise:

It is the clear bra that goes on the front of the car to prevent it from getting chips in the hood and side mirrors.

GP

imidazol97

This Ford has a Mini Cooper look to it. Nice.

>interior refrigerator,

Add a washer dryer for the busy mother to handle kids' laundry while running errands...

houdini1

Don't get out much, huh?

chikoo

u don't have that now? I thought the AC was for drying clothes :P