hmmm... There is a sort of fundamental
rule in all trading, whether it be in boats, real estate or services or anything else: Know as much about the subject at hand as any "professional" you may choose (or be forced) to employ. You employ the professio0nal only to save yourself time and effort. And in some circumstances because the law sez you must :-)
In three hours you will be able
google and commit to a spreadsheet the asking prices of McGregor 26s
for sale anywhere in the world! Asking prices are of two kinds: 1) "Listing prices" of brokers having been engaged by the seller to obtain a
sale. 2) "Asking prices" of boats offered
for sale on HolyMotherNet by their owners without involvement of a "professional". Asking prices will be 10 to 30 percent lower than listing prices. Bid 60% of listing prices if you bid on a listed boat, but remember that once you "make an offer" you are legally bound by it. On "private sales" bid 80% and see what happens. There are some aspects to "handing over the money" in a "private sale" that you might like to talk to us about. WE can do that later :-)
Remember that a seller's broker is employed by the seller, and is responsible in law for extracting from you, the buyer, the maximum amount of cash he possibly can. His interests are NOT your interests. But he has a
legal obligation to protect the buyer's
money until "title passes". Doing that would be the principal reason for employing a "buyer's broker", i.e. doing so is a redundancy.
If you are uncertain about the "technicalities" of a boat you are contemplating buying, it is NOT a broker you need. As I said: A broker's legal duty is to the seller, i.e. to your adversary. A broker employed by you and responsible to you is a waste of
money. YOU need to know what you are dealing with. It is a surveyor you need, because a surveyor engaged by you has a legal obligation to YOU - he is, legally, your "servant" - and he is responsible in law for having appropriate competence to guide you. But YOU have to have the competence to
monitor and assess that competence.
But are a surveyor's services worthwhile on a MacGregor 26? I, myself wouldn't spend the money on a surveyor's fee, for it will amount, most likely, to 20 or 25 percent of the asking price of an older M26. Get five unfavourable surveys, and many, many boats offered for
sale result in such, and you've blown away the
purchase price of a M26 to no effect at all. So here is a starting point for you:
Marine Survey 101, Do your own marine survey
I know spring it on 'er way, but curtail your impatience. Take a week to study up on what to look for. Ask questions. Learn. And know that any money you spend on a M26 to "upgrade" her will most likely be "sunk cost". Be aware also that you should be able to buy a M26 for a
purchase price of rather less than the cost of
mooring her for a year unless you keep 'er on a
trailer and take 'er home after each sail. And doing that is a Royal PITA! So royal, in fact, that you will soon get tired of using 'er :-)
And as for being "able to extract a discount from the selling agent": Of course you can, but please understand that there is no such thing as a "discount" because used boats do not sell for a "Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price". Used boats sell for "what the market will bear", which is to say for amounts offered by able buyers to willing sellers. Don't be too "able"! You will find that very often sellers are willing to sell for far less than they pretend to be! So bid low. And walk away if your bid is not taken.
The world is full of old boats for sale. It's a "buyer's market". And the vast majority of boats for sale is IMO far superior to the M26. And that is only partly a matter of taste. Quality of construction enters into it as does competence of design and efficacy for intended purpose.
You've come to the right place to harvest all kinds of opinion for you to either embrace of reject. So don't be too impatient. Learn. Ask technical questions. But try to make those questions specific and pointed. You might get the discussion going by asking us - not just me - in what way "the vast majority of boats for sale is IMO far superior to the M26." If the shellbacks here assembled shoot me down - not to worry. YOU (and other newbs) will learn a lot from the discussion :-)
Best of luck
TrentePieds