Making an Offer Question???

[meme]

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

Meme, so nice to meet you. My momma is a boater too. I love it when she comes to the boat, she is all business! "Lets repair this or lets revamp that" I love it.

Same here girl! And thanks for all the support!

[captain58sailin]

Just a thought, I believe in the US, you have to have a Captain's license on vessels over 65', some one might have more correct information. I seem to remember hearing something like that.

[Dennis.G]

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

Just a thought, I believe in the US, you have to have a Captain's license on vessels over 65', some one might have more correct information. I seem to remember hearing something like that.

I think that as long as not for hire, and under 200 tons no license required.

[psneeld]

wow...based on the posts in this thread...I'd start all over again asking the same question in another thread....

sure...a lot of boats are sold sight, unseen with a handshake and a wink...but not something GG is looking for...

offer, deposit, survey/sea trial, negotiated price...no go - deposit back...go - deposit included in purchase price.... smiles and champagne all around

ok..sure you can go crawl over a boat...but most in this class won't start the engines or turn a switch till an offer is made (on rare occasions for desperate sellers and good intel on prospective buyers...anything can happen...but not the norm).

For actual brokerage practices..best to check with the one handling the deal...anything more than 10% squawk and then get it in writing (usually because it's now the offer stage)....don't like the terms..offer a counter..if not walk away since that seems pretty easy for many

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by psneeld

wow...based on the posts in this thread...I'd start all over again asking the same question in another thread....

sure...a lot of boats are sold sight, unseen with a handshake and a wink...but not something GG is looking for...

offer, deposit, survey/sea trial, negotiated price...no go - deposit back...go - deposit included in purchase price.... smiles and champagne all around

ok..sure you can go crawl over a boat...but most in this class won't start the engines or turn a switch till an offer is made (on rare occasions for desperate sellers and good intel on prospective buyers...anything can happen...but not the norm).

For actual brokerage practices..best to check with the one handling the deal...anything more than 10% squawk and then get it in writing (usually because it's now the offer stage)....don't like the terms..offer a counter..if not walk away since that seems pretty easy for many

This is another good thing to think about; if flying in from a long way away.. make arrangements to hear the engine run at the dock (if in the water)
A broker should understand you are serious enough for this if you're spending hundreds of dollars to fly there.

[psneeld]

I don't know where a lot of people get their info...but on big boats...a lot of brokers won't even touch the boat...and maybe not the owner either...

You may have to make an offer/make a deposit to hear the engines run. It doesn't matter who you are or where you are from....now if the broker THINKS you are a hot prospect and the owner believes him and really wants a deal to happen soon...then anything is possible....but rare in my experience.

[FLLCatsailor]

Originally Posted by psneeld

I don't know where a lot of people get their info...but on big boats...a lot of brokers won't even touch the boat...and maybe not the owner either...

You may have to make an offer/make a deposit to hear the engines run. It doesn't matter who you are or where you are from....now if the broker THINKS you are a hot prospect and the owner believes him and really wants a deal to happen soon...then anything is possible....but rare in my experience.

I won't start the engines on a boat unless contract and deposit in place... Not worth the liability.

Now you put a boat under contract with the understanding the engines are in good working order, and the engine survey comes back pretty badly it's time to go back to do a survey adjustment or conditional acceptance...

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by FLLCatsailor

I won't start the engines on a boat unless contract and deposit in place... Not worth the liability.

Now you put a boat under contract with the understanding the engines are in good working order, and the engine survey comes back pretty badly it's time to go back to do a survey adjustment or conditional acceptance...

Yep...pretty much what I have experienced...never hurts to ask but don't expect much till you show more than a smile and "wow...I love your boat"

[Cap Erict3]

The idea of dealing from a position of strength is rule no 1 in the salesman's book. Until such time that real buyers outnumber used boats that position of strength is an illusion.

Stand your ground. It's just another high pressure sales tactic.

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by Cap Erict3

The idea of dealing from a position of strength is rule no 1 in the salesman's book. Until such time that real buyers outnumber used boats that position of strength is an illusion.

Stand your ground. It's just another high pressure sales tactic.

Good boats outnumber the buyers...there's tons of trash out there...if you are being picky and going for good deals...you better not think you have much leverage as a cheapo buyer.

[GalaxyGirl]

Originally Posted by FLLCatsailor

I won't start the engines on a boat unless contract and deposit in place... Not worth the liability.

I haven't had any problem getting engines started. I just ask, and they say sure. What's the big deal?

[FLLCatsailor]

Originally Posted by GalaxyGirl

I haven't had any problem getting engines started. I just ask, and they say sure. What's the big deal?

If I turn the key without permission and a mechanic has a part off the engine/process of an oil change/there is a diver under the boat/etc/etc/etc...

Who do you think the lawyers/owners are going to come after? The prospective buyer, or the broker?

If I have a serious client, who I have been working with, and know they are serious. I'll ask the owner for permission to start the boat.

If it is someone who calls me on a saturday morning to look at a boat because they have nothing else to do while they are waiting for a flight after a business trip.... Different story...

[Whaubner]

Personally we always travelled to see the boat prior to making an offer. I saw a couple of boats that looked great in the listing but did not have the same great impression in person. Sure it could be sold while you are in the plane, but I was willing to take that risk. If the boat has been on the market for a year is today the day it's actually going to sell ? As a seller if someone is willing to fly across the country and I have an offer in hand I may delay a couple days to see what the other offer looks like. If you are willing to spend your time and money to look at a boat then I know you are serious about buying a boat.

Hopefully you are traveling to an area that has other boats for sale. In such a case have a local broker arrange for you to view others while you are in the neighborhood. If nothing else it gives you a better feel for the market.

As a seller, I would reject any offer without some type of deposit.
As a buyer we would place a small deposit with the offer until the offer was accepted. Once accepted we could deposit the 10%

[GalaxyGirl]

Originally Posted by FLLCatsailor

If I turn the key without permission and a mechanic has a part off the engine/process of an oil change/there is a diver under the boat/etc/etc/etc...

Who do you think the lawyers/owners are going to come after? The prospective buyer, or the broker?

If I have a serious client, who I have been working with, and know they are serious. I'll ask the owner for permission to start the boat.

If it is someone who calls me on a saturday morning to look at a boat because they have nothing else to do while they are waiting for a flight after a business trip.... Different story...

Ok, I didn't realize that you were speaking from a brokers point of view. I wouldn't start the engine on someone else's boat, as a broker, either. Unless, as you stated, I had the owner's prior permission.

The boats that I had started, had the owner turning the key

[GalaxyGirl]

Originally Posted by Whaubner

Personally we always travelled to see the boat prior to making an offer. I saw a couple of boats that looked great in the listing but did not have the same great impression in person. Sure it could be sold while you are in the plane, but I was willing to take that risk. If the boat has been on the market for a year is today the day it's actually going to sell ? As a seller if someone is willing to fly across the country and I have an offer in hand I may delay a couple days to see what the other offer looks like. If you are willing to spend your time and money to look at a boat then I know you are serious about buying a boat.

Hopefully you are traveling to an area that has other boats for sale. In such a case have a local broker arrange for you to view others while you are in the neighborhood. If nothing else it gives you a better feel for the market.

As a seller, I would reject any offer without some type of deposit.
As a buyer we would place a small deposit with the offer until the offer was accepted. Once accepted we could deposit the 10%

It makes sense, this is what I have been doing also. I flew to Florida, with no offer.

The only reason that I put an offer on the boat that I was discussing in this post was because it was a low-ball, and I wanted to see if the owner would be willing to go that low before traveling, because I suspected not, and wasn't willing to go higher.