You always want to get them cheap as possible but yes look at marketplace to see what the vehicle is going for in your area. The more you do it, the more you will have an idea of what repairs need done and what parts cost, plus your time you’ll put into it.
Sucks turning down vehicles after taking your time to look at them, but you don’t want to go negative.
I’ve turned down about as many cars that I’ve actually bought, but this game is always a gamble. On the really cheap ones, try to get them for scrap price so if the car goes south you won’t lose money. On the 100+ cars I’ve bought over the last 17 years, I’ve only broke even on about 3, never lost money.
Another thing to have in your back pocket is get to know someone that buys scrap cars.
I can’t count how many cars I’ve bought for $50-100 and then turned around and made $150-300 off a phone call to have my scrap guy come pick them up without me having to even touch the car. Another thing is never buy a car without a title unless it’s for parts!
Can’t stress that enough, we see it every day someone on here loses their ass because they paid for a car and then don’t get the title and also understand how to read the title to see if it’s salvage/rebuilt because that can affect the resale value.
