Electric cars are emerging as an option to go green to an era of rebuilding our mother earth in a world of pollution that is taking over us everyday in different aspects of our lives from a simple thing to complex sources of whatever it is that makes the environment filthy. The answer is here, cheap and simple mechanics. Electric car makers like Tesla and other well known manufacturers are leaning towards a cleaner emission cars to entice the environmentally concerned consumer. As to date this vehicle are performers in their respective class having only the distance capacity as an issue but is considerably something that can be lived through.

Shopping for a used car is not stressful as you think it is. You just know how to do it and the right people to deal with. It is exciting and satisfying if done right. Not all used cars are the same but new cars are all the same. You can buy new cars over the phone but not used cars.

1. First is to really assessed what you need or want on a car before choosing one. Looks make may not only the reason for it.
2. Do your homework at home to save you time by checking different vehicles online and calling dealerships to confirm availability.
3. Make sure you see and test drive the vehicle.
4. Take a look at some vehicle too. Your final decision comes from when you see and drive the vehicle that you feel its the right one.
5. Get a second opinion like a friend or borrow the vehicle for your trusted mechanic to check.
6. If your set on the vehicle. Financing depends on your credit and what options available for you. Dealership has better options
for finance because of their relationship with creditors and the number of application they send to them. If you have a credit
union or bank that would finance you then go ahead and compare which one gives you the best option.
7. Also understand that the higher the down payment the lower the monthly payment, vice-versa. Depends what works for you.
8. Signing documents and contract should be something that you have to understand and take into consideration. Always ask questions
if you don’t understand. Optional products will be offered to you. I suggest Extended service and Gap are the top important ones.
9. Before you leave the dealership, make sure you double check the car like spare tire, tools, lights etc.
10.Good luck and hope you are happy with your purchase.

Out of State Car Financing

By

Brian Tucker, MBA

In unstable economic times, consumers tend to get creative when it comes to major purchases. Regional economies dictate the costs of major ticket items: cars, homes and rental properties and these items vary in price, from region to region. Is it feasible to purchase a car in another state? According to Consumer Debt Expert, Steve Rhode of the Huffington Post, Looking to Finance a Car, securing auto financing is going to be easier, for 2013. This should hold true for consumers interested in securing loans for used cars.

Being in California and having family in Nevada, I’ve seen price differences in car prices that made me strongly consider purchasing a car in the state next door. And it makes sense if you’re going to save thousands and pay hundreds in used car shopping in other states. Considering purchasing a used car in another state consider this checklist:

• Shop Locally – Look locally for securing a loan, first. A financial institution can issue a loan regardless where the dealer is geographically.
• Credit Unions require larger down payments, but you will get better interest rates than if you go with a national bank. If you’re a veteran or active duty member of the Armed Forces utilize branch credit unions for a better rate and overall deal.
• Use Vehicle Financing as a last resort – BMW Financing or Lexus Financing is guaranteed to be a higher interest rate. This route makes more sense for new car than a used one.
• Using national banks – Allybank and USAA make the process easier.
• Inspect the vehicle – take the vehicle to an independent third party mechanic – if doable. If not, Ask for a Carfax Report
• Never Send Money – I can’t believe there are stories out there of people putting cash in envelopes – this is a no brainer.

Securing financing for an out of state used car is doable, just make sure it is practical. How much are you really saving, if you’re purchasing out of state? Have you exhausted all options within state? Am I getting the best possible deal for the money I will be borrowing? If the best possible deal is out of state and what you will save outweighs what you will spend in transportation and other expenses than securing financing out of state for a used car makes sense.

Marketing used cars in Los Angeles to women capitalizes on a unique problem: How do used car dealerships create appealing marketing campaigns targeting the women of Los Angeles? To address this question used car dealerships need to ask the following questions:

· Which used cars appeal to Los Angeles women?
· How do we utilize the power of Social Media Marketing to create innovative campaigns that would appeal to Los Angeles women?

Los Angeles Used Car Dealers first need to honestly ask themselves that question and since I already work at a Los Angeles Used Car Dealership and after input from conversations with our salespeople here is a short list of used cars that appeal to Los Angeles women:
Used Cars that appeal to Los Angeles Women

· Volkswagen Jetta
· Volkswagen New Beetle
· Mercedes ML Series
· Mercedes CLK Series
· Mercedes SLK Series
· Mini Cooper
· Ford Mustang
· Honda Civic
· Nissan Versa
· Nissan Altima
· Honda Accord
· Acura TSX
· Ford Escape
· Mercedes C-Class
· BMW 3 Series
· Jeep Liberty
· Toyota Corolla
· Scion TC
· Cadillac CTS
· Honda FIT
· KIA Sol
· Range Rovers LR3

Now that we have our list, let’s move to the answer the second question: How do we utilize the power of Social Media Marketing to create innovative campaigns that would appeal to Los Angeles women? As a marketer, this question can be fun to answer. Ask yourself the question: Which social media sites appeal to Los Angeles women? Here’s my short list:

· Pinterest
· Facebook
· Twitter
· Instagram
· Yelp

This list is short and to the point. Now, lets answer the original second question: How do we utilize the power of Social Media Marketing to create innovative campaigns that would appeal to Los Angeles women? Answer: Create a Pinterest Test Campaign. I’ve been uploading images of cars, according to my coworkers and sales people, are cars women like. Those pics then have links back to their corresponding site page for those vehicles.

Twitter Marketing Experiment – Inbound Marketing – More than 50% of Twitter users are women – Opportunity

Utilizing Twitter for Used Car Marketing presents a unique challenge. I’ve completed two Twitter Test “Blast”, if you will and success on this particular social media medium. With Twitter’s 140-character limit, this presents a unique challenge and I have some marketing campaign development questions:

• With 140 a character limit, what’s the best messaging that would appeal to targeting Los Angeles women that are in the market for a used car purchase?
• What Hashtags could I use?
• What keywords should I include in the tweet?

These are all valid and interesting questions and before I try to answer them based off my personal experience, with these two experiments this is what I’ve learned. Remember, Twitter is a conversation and you want to be useful. Don’t just tweet things that have no relevance. Using Hashtags allows you to target an audience or target a subject. Be specific and eliminate unnecessary wording. And by all means: Don’t engage in Push Marketing. A simple tweet about a used car for sale and a link to a pic doesn’t work on Twitter. I know my account was hacked and I had to change the password. Lesson learned.

Used Car Dealerships need to take the time to develop thoughtful Twitter campaigns. The campaigns need to cater to women’s negative car purchasing experiences. This is an approach that I have want to try, by empathizing with women’s negative experiences at car dealerships and building an ongoing conversation: trust can be built over time. And insights can be learned. I want to take some time in creating a thoughtful Twitter Campaign.

I created two Instagram Experimental Campaigns with mixed results. I used great images of cars I feel that appeal to women. Then I marked the images with metadata – keywords, links, etc. and dropped them into Dropbox for transfer to my tablet to utilize them with Instagram. I used hashtags for certain vehicles and this got responses on some vehicles. The great thing about Instagram is that you can utilize the filters to give the pics different “qualities” and make certain cars look “dated” for example. Instagram has a lot of potential. This is something I’m doing quick and easy on a weekly basis.

 Remember: This is an ongoing test campaign and the part II of this article will be coming soon.

The city of Angeles (Los Angeles) contains millions of used cars for sale. Having just recently, returned to this huge metropolis from a fifteen-year hiatus, I was perplexed with the problem of having to find a quality used car. In those fifteen years, I lived with public transportation, bicycles and motorcycles and I lived in cities that owning a car is not required. Having a car in Los Angeles is a necessity even though I’m on motorcycles ninety-percent of the time. And if you were wondering, I was living in the following cities: Oakland, San Francisco, New York City, Munich, Augsburg and Hamburg.

Here’s what I needed:

–         I wanted something small (That can fit in a small duplex garage – I have two motos, a road bike and lots of tools!)

–         I wanted quality

–         I wanted reliability

Here’s what I wanted:

–         I wanted something fun (At 41 year’s young – I deserved something fun!)

–         The few times I do drive, I wanted it to be an “experience”

2002 Mini Cooper S version Sterling Silver with options

Options (with my vehicle):

• Leather Seating
• Power Glass Sunroof
• Stability Control
• Steering Wheel Audio Controls
• Steering Wheel Cruise Controls
• Trip Computer
• Rear Spoiler
• Leather Steering Wheel Trim
• Front Fog/Driving Lights
• CD Player – No Bluetooth integration

What I “settled” for: 2002 Mini Cooper S version – Sterling Silver with at 144,000 miles with the above options.

In my mind, this is the car that I wanted for the last 10 years. This exact car, model, year, color and options. I was patient, found it, had cash and bought it. Now this is no fair but I’m a home mechanic. I helped my father and brothers remove engines so, I knew what I was getting into and I wanted to do some engine work to “learn about the car.” The car had been “used” (not raced or abused) and the body was in pristine condition.

Vehicle Inspection Tips

Tip 1: Save your money – Cash Talks!

Tip 2: Inspect the undercarriage  – I found 5 leaks! ( I also planned on overhauling the engine)

Tip 3: Make sure it’s not a Salvage Title and it has a “clean” title – ask for a Carfax Report

Tip 4: Inspect the engine compartment for belt and hose wear – I found “bird feathers” in the engine and I came to the quick conclusion that at one time, a bird was “nesting” near the supercharger!

Tip5: Inspect the tires – The tires on this particular Mini Cooper were at 50%

Tip 6: Check your excitement! This can be hard because when you’re excited it’s easy to miss things – I missed that the car had no white back up light!

Tip 7: Ask for any maintenance records, up front.

Tip 8: Take a friend along – for support – I didn’t have this luxury – but I knew what I wanted

Tip 9:Befriend a Mechanic  – I have a story about this: I bought a second back up motorcycle from guy that owned a 2002 Mini Cooper S version that he put some money into. What impressed me was that he was a Master Mechanic with a Lathe in his gargage – A Lathe is used to machine parts! I keep his phone number and told him about my wanting of a 2002 Mini Cooper and that I plan to hire him to overhaul and we did! (That’s another article….)

Tip 10: Buy from a Quality Dealership or Auto Broker – The auto broker I bought from was quality – he was upfront, honest and provided me a carfax report. The car came with a limited warranty, which you can’t get from a private party.

Keep these ten tips “in mind” upon inspecting the vehicle.

Negotiation

–         The more you find missing, worn or wrong with the car you can use to negotiate the price down

–         Mini Cooper S versions have strong resale value – The one I wanted was in a premium color, with premium options, with a new clutch. The car broker was surprisingly firm with their price: This confidence surprised me. The lesson: If the seller knows that the car “will” sell and is “highly desirable” than you might have to just pay for what they’re asking: Do some market research. I knew what I wanted and it was hard to find that particular car, with those options in the most desired color. In life, if that’s what you want: accept that you might just have to pay for it. And I was willing to pay for it.

Conclusion

I ended up paying $7600, cash, for my Mini Cooper in September 2011. After my mechanic friend, inspected it, he came to the conclusion that I paid for exactly what I should of paid for the car. That was great to know and my friend and I ended up removing the engine, replacing all the major gaskets and replacing worn parts. Stay tuned for that article.

Good Luck –Never Settle & Happy Hunting!

NEWS RELEASE

                                                                                                   Monday, March 25, 2013

“NEW FACE OF KARPLUS”

The “New Face of Karplus” is a bold strategic marketing campaign initiative designed to enhance Karplus Warehouse industry image for First Quarter 2013. We’re using “reselling” and “repackaging” to assertively sell our cars, trucks and suv’s targeting the used cars in Los Angeles sector.

1. Further information is available about the company from its website: www.888karplus.com