This is really working for me. The town I live in North Judson, Indianais located midway between Chicago and Indianapolis. So, although it is a rural area with very few jobs, it is an excellent location for making money on Craigslist.

But you can do this no matter where you live. You must be mechanically inclined for this job. You have to be knowledgeable enough to spot a value in a used car or truck.

Knowing how to negotiate is another thing that helps.

How to Buy a Car on Craigslist Without Getting Scammed

And it usually only takes me a few hours a week. Study your nearby Craigslist cities, and determine which one has the most people with money. In my case, there are some rural areas near me, where people have very little money like Kokomo, Indianaand areas where people have more money like Chicago. Only use money that you can afford. Study the rural or cheaper area for a good deal on a used car or truck. I have found that most people who have owned a car for a long time will tell you all about it- what it needs, how dependable it is, etc.

These lengthy descriptions show honesty in most cases. Email them and ask more questions. Will the car make it to California? How much oil does it use?

How are the tires? Look at cars that are a little more expensive than your budget. Go check out the car. Make sure you look under the car for rusty floors, leaks, bent frames, etc.

Check under the hood for rust, leaks, etc. Take it for a drive and listen for clunks when braking and turning. Make sure the transmission shifts through all gears.

How to Make Money Flipping Cars on Craigslist

Then, when you are satisfied, turn it off, and see if it starts again. Offer less than the original price. Explain your needy situation, and your dire need for transportation. Try to gain some sympathy. Bring it home and clean it up. Sometimes just a little touch-up paint in a few strategic spots can make a huge difference. Or power wash the engine and remove all oil stains.

Take some good pictures and post your ad on the larger, more lucrative city area Craigslist. Be warned though- people will have your ad removed if it is out of the area.

Put it at the end of your description. Be very descriptive about your vehicle, and tell the truth. People can sense a liar. Be honest, and wish people success with their new to them car.

How to Make Money on Craigslist Buying and Selling Cars - Driven Autos Magazine

Put your phone number in the ad. A lot of people shop Craigslist from their mobile phones, and many of them can simply click on a phone number to dial it. I always respond with my firm price. Watch out for scammers. Even if the check clears, it will be stopped at a later date.

You never know if something else is wrong with the car, or if something is about to pop. Ken Skaggs is a year veteran trucker and safety professional, who has always been a writer, and an entrepreneur at heart.

I was a career trucker for years. I also wrote a regular column in Ten-Four Magazine for years. These days, I write for my websites. I have several feeds on KenSkaggs. Looked at the article above and its very inspiring. I live in Houston, Texas and am trying to do the same business, but I do have a question. Before I sell the bought used car, do I need to transfer the title on to my name? If yes, that means I will have to cover the cost of sales tax on the car by jacking the price of the car.

Please correct me if i am wrong. How do you cover yr money for sales tax in this whole equation? Then, when I sell it, I just hand the title to them. The other option is, go ahead and transfer the title into your name and pay the fees and taxes, then add it to your price. When one buys a car and then resells it but does not register the car before selling it has committed tax fraud. A buyer of a car is required in ALL states to register and get a new title in their name.

They want their piece of the pie, like it or not. Be informed and be safe. An I make a few bucks— Butt what th HAY I guess thats what its all about. Most of th time after I get a vehicle -Haul it -clean it- fix all small problems-That previous owner would not fix-It trueley is a pretty reliable vehicle!!!!!!! Sold one bout a yr.

Upload the pictures of your cars to Craig Upload http: The large, clear images attract more buyers. You can also make HTML templates Craig Upload. If you hand over the title to the new owner just like that, how can the new buyer be sure that you are the owner of this car since your name is nowhere on that title. You will have to transfer the car first to your name and then sell it. Pass it off before it breaks on you is what he is saying. My sister bought a car from a Jack a.

Used cars break down. They just wear out and need maintenance. But any time anyone buys a used car you are taking a risk. I would make sure the car is in good condition day trading stock online forex course tradingwizar safe as much as forex opening hours sunday. Surely this will cut into your profit but I will sleep better.

I said I check everything, and fix what I can. When I sell a car, it is better than it was when I got it. Dear Ken, thank you for a great article. Maybe I should just try. Please tell me one thing, how would you transport it? Most states allow you to drive a car home, or to nouvobanq forex rates DMV where you purchase your license plates.

Getting a signed bill of sale is really important because it proves that you just now bought the car. I know it is illegal, but I simply put any old license plate on it and hope I make it how to make money buying cars on craigslist I do get insurance right away though. This way, if I do get pulled over, I can show the cop that I just bought it, and I have insurance. EVERY state has a law against title skipping, which is exactly what you are doing.

All states also have a law against how many cars you can sell in a year without a license, usually about 5. Why all the name-calling?

I buy a car, fix it up, and sell it for more. Does that make me a scoundrel? If so, every business in the world is a scoundrel. In fact, I am very mechanically inclined, I learn everything I can about any car I sell, and I relate ALL that to my customers- I am TOTALLY honest- more honest than the average person selling a car. Every state does not have a law against title skipping. I called my state DMV office and they told me it was completely legal to sell a car without putting it in my name first.

Made a few bucks on the sale too! Keep doing your thing buddy! I dont see anything wrong with what you are doing. You could be scamming the hell out of people but instead you are honestly flipping cars. If you were to write an article on how to move drugs or run scams online, the same people will comment on how you need to do something legitimately like finding cars to flip!

All the ones I see seem like cars where the owner should pay that much to have someone tow it out of their driveway.

Yeah, a lot of them deserve to be in a scrapyard. However, there are some gems to be found- you have to do some due diligence.

I let my daughter use it for the winter and it was a great car.

The only thing wrong with it was it was rusty. I work at a very busy shop I come across at lest 3 cars a month that I buy fix and sell. Most I make each. But in my case I pay for the car most with bad engines or transmissions. I then put used engines in the car and resell.

I only put about 3 cars a year in my name. I mean an extra 3grand a month is great I see nothing wrong with this. Although I do drive the cars a good miles before I sell just a piece of mind thing I guess.

How to Buy and Sell Cars on Craigslist the Right Way Clear Classic Auto Blog. During the Summer months, I bought and sold about ten cars all together.

The main reason I stay in the low-price area, is because there is less risk. Yeah, they are more likely to break down. Hi Ken, Very good article and good follow up questions, I think it is really cool that you are sharing this to help those who want to make a change and you have insisted on honesty many times which is the key in any business!

I was just wondering how can the buyer be sure that the title is not lost or stolen when it is not in your name? However, I know that some states do require the DMV to be involved in all auto sales, where both buyer and seller have to go to the DMV together.

Someone from Minnesota told me that. So make sure you know your local laws. In any case, if you have the time, and the investment is worth it, you should transfer the title to your name before you resell it.

Always check the VIN number whenever you buy a car, to make sure the title is the right title for that specific car. The guy is buying cars for and usually doubling his money. There are dealers that sell new and used that really rip people off. I think the fact he has little investment shows that the cars may have future problems.

Putting a band aid on it, shine it up and sell for far more than he should. He said he only makes about 1k a month doing this. How many super straight cars are any of you buying for bucks?

He uses his mechanic abilities to fix issues. Hi Ken, Can you give some real examples on this? I am not mechanical but know a few things about cars, and own a few and fixed a few. It ran pretty good though once we put a battery in it.

Before I went to see it, the guy told me it needed a battery and would start if I brought one. So I brought a battery with me and sure enough it started and ran fairly decent. I shampooed the carpet about ten times to finally get it looking and smelling good.

Took the inside door panel off the side door and fixed a broken linkage to the handle- now it opened but just from the inside. I took out the sunroof and re-glued it with some permatex. I explained to the new owner how to open the back doors by really getting a hold of them with two hands because the top hinge was rusted out on both.

He just needed a big cargo van for work. Hi Ken great article! I finally have some extra money to play with and I have always thought about this kind of business, and thanks to being mechanically inclined as well, this made up my mind that this is the path for my source of part time income.

Although I have a few questions before I go out and purchase my first car. If so how do police react to this? What is your normal response to this? Do you say that this is your part time business or do you make up a some story? I have never towed a non-running vehicle, except in cases where I got it cheap enough to take it straight to a scrap yard.

When asked why I am selling, I tell them the truth, but maybe not the whole truth. I fixed whatever it was. Craigslist Orange County CA Used Cars for Sale by Owner. Read These Top Tips First!

Trending Subaru BRZ Coupe Car Badges To Look Out For In How To Make Sure your Car is Family Safe Is The Prius Worth The Price? Be Smart About Selling Your Car Online The Pros And Cons Of Private Selling Stop The Press: Articles News Car Buying Tips Car Selling Tips Reviews Stories Submission Guidelines More. How to Make Money on Craigslist Buying and Selling Cars By Ken Skaggs on September 16, Car Selling TipsStories.

How to Buy Cars Cheaply and Sell Them at a Profit | AxleAddict

Check it often, and again, be honest. Ken Skaggs Website I was a career trucker for years.

May 8, 0. May 5, 0. May 3, 0. Purva Mehta on October 6, 7: Ken Skaggs on October 7, 4: KrazyKarGuy on March 29, 1: Wayne Hortman on December 8, Mike on March 19, 6: AJ on April 25, 2: Patty on July 17, 7: Ken Skaggs on July 17, 7: Bobby on September 16, 6: Ken Skaggs on November 30, 5: James on April 3, 9: Ken Skaggs on April 4, 4: Mark on August 22, 9: Ken Skaggs on August 30, 5: The dishonesty makes you a scoundrel.

If you did business honestly then you would not be. Ken Skaggs on November 11, 4: Rick on January 6, 1: Richard on December 30, 1: Hey Ken Keep doing your thing buddy! Ohello on June 10, 7: Ken Skaggs on June 11, 5: Although I do drive the cars a good miles before I sell just a piece of mind thing I guess Reply. Ken Skaggs on July 23, 4: James on April 3, RJ on September 30, J Washington on November 2, 9: Ken Skaggs on November 3, 1: Ap0ll0n on February 26, 2: Ken Skaggs on February 27, 6: JimnyShwaggert on March 13, 2: James on April 5, Ken Skaggs on April 6, 6: Rod on June 5, 9: Looking forward to your response.

Ken Skaggs on June 6, 4: Hi Rod, I have never towed a non-running vehicle, except in cases where I got it cheap enough to take it straight to a scrap yard. Good luck, Ken Reply. Cade on May 12, 3: Leave A Reply Cancel Reply.