[quote=BondGuy]

Taurus, done at $6300.

Buyer: Your price is too high, the car is in Kelly Blue Book for $5500.

Me: Well, then you need to buy the car from Kelly Blue Book.

Buyer: They say your price is too high.

Me: Ok, funny thing is, they don't sell cars. This one is $6900.

We finally agreed on $6300. Done deal!

Next car deal, happens to be right down the direction in which this thread has turned, a truck. I'm sending the kid in to pick out a 2011 F150 King Ranch. I'll cut the deal with my guy. It will double as a family vehicle light truck around the farm in FL. He needs something that can haul an ATV as well as tow  horse and boat trailers. He wanted an F250, but that would be overkill.

I also have to buy a van, as the 05 Grand Caravan that we keep in FL for my use and visiting family got whacked. Rear ender at a stop sign, nobody's hurt, but the van is done. I really liked that van. Comfortable driver's seat, decent on gas. Oh well, I'll start looking around up in Jersey, buy something and drive it down in the fall. I'm not much of a mini van person. But i gotta say, because we do a lot of bicycling down there, everything fit in that van! No worries!

Selling the Taurus was fun. About a dozen calls just from putting the car out on the grass along the road out in front of the place. Sold in two days. I wish i had more cars to sell. An entertaining deversion!

[/quote]

BG don't buy an 11'... Get a 09-10 through your buddy at the auction, a good lease turn in or reputable co. I buy alot through Ford Motor Credit. Through him 500-1k and in 2 years you'll be able to sell it and likely not lose any money. 

Everyone on here assumes cars are a losing investment... I promise they don't have to be. The depreciation on a new King Ranch is mind boggling.

If you need a hand let me know I have access to all the auctions,, Manheim, etc. I can atleast give you some more info. that might save you enough to get a KR and a minivan for less than you might pay for a 11 KR.

[quote=BigCheese]

I don't judge you anymore or less CFP, it just amazes me that we cherish the things that matter so little in the big picture.

[/quote]

Right there, in that sentence you contradicted yourself.  You said you don't judge, yet you immediately contradicted yourself by doing just that in your statement "it amazes me that we cherish the things that matter so little in the big picture".  Whose "big picture"?  YOURS.  Maybe the big picture for the advisor you were criticizing are those creature comforts.  Once again, his prerogative, and you are judging.  All I'm saying is to each his own.  You may disagree, and that is your prerogative.  Quietly he may be judging you for appearing to him as pedestrian. 

We can go round and round, but at the end of the day we are entitled to our own "big picture".

way too much self righteousness in this thread

ok easy question: who would you rather be. guy 1 or guy 2

guy 1: 50 year old living in a fully paid for $150,000 house with an '07 taurus parked in the driveway because he's being practical

or

guy 2: 50 year old living in the house of his dreams with the car of his dreams the way he always imagined it would be for him when he was a kid

both have $50mm AUM and netting around $250k/yr. both have comfortable balances in the checking account and no one's living paycheck to paycheck stuggling to pay the bills

WHEN THEIR HEADS HIT THE PILLOW AT NIGHT, WHO'S LOOKING FORWARD TO DRIVING TO WORK TOMORROW MORNING

and don't give me that money doesn't buy happiness bullshit

Jack THX. I'm always up fpr buying a good used vehicle. With the exception of the toy cars I have a tendency to hang on to cars for a long time. Still have an 03 Taurus that my younger son drives. And thx for the offer. My guy gets me what ever i want, so for now, I'm covered. All that said, We've already decided to go with a new truck. The decision was F150 or F250.

On Luxo car debate- +1 that non car guys don't get it. To a car guy a car isn't just transportation. If it was, we'd all be driving Kias or some other cheap tin can. To a car guy it's the driving experience that they are after. It's the ride, not the destination. With a tip of my Phillies cap to those with differing religious views, we only go around once. If you want it and are willing to work for it, then go for it. Lastly, on the money aspect- put your calculators down because the guys that drive these cars can afford them without breathing hard. They are making a trade off, the money for a life experience.

Here's a prime example: Turning the clock back 23 years i went to lease a 911s. One of my closest friends turned thumbs down on the idea. "What a waste of money!"  he said. Ok, dude, let's compare lifestyles. You and your wife take at least one exotic vacation a year. We go to the shore. You belong to a hunting club that costs you $5000 a year in dues. You also belong to a fishing club that costs you $3000 a year and a country club that cost you how much? I don't belong to a hunting club ,fishing club or country club eff you i drive a Porsche!  He laughed when i put it into perspective for him. Then the market crashed and i didn't lease the car. I waited a year, and bought then a toy car.

I can understand why a friend buys expensive wine and why another has a watch collection he could trade for a nice house. The porch is alonely place when you look back at your life and say "I'm getting 4% on the money i didn't use to do the things i really wanted to do."

[quote=BondGuy]

Jack THX. I'm always up fpr buying a good used vehicle. With the exception of the toy cars I have a tendency to hang on to cars for a long time. Still have an 03 Taurus that my younger son drives. And thx for the offer. My guy gets me what ever i want, so for now, I'm covered. All that said, We've already decided to go with a new truck. The decision was F150 or F250.

On Luxo car debate- +1 that non car guys don't get it. To a car guy a car isn't just transportation. If it was, we'd all be driving Kias or some other cheap tin can. To a car guy it's the driving experience that they are after. It's the ride, not the destination. With a tip of my Phillies cap to those with differing religious views, we only go around once. If you want it and are willing to work for it, then go for it. Lastly, on the money aspect- put your calculators down because the guys that drive these cars can afford them without breathing hard. They are making a trade off, the money for a life experience.

Here's a prime example: Turning the clock back 23 years i went to lease a 911s. One of my closest friends turned thumbs down on the idea. "What a waste of money!"  he said. Ok, dude, let's compare lifestyles. You and your wife take at least one exotic vacation a year. We go to the shore. You belong to a hunting club that costs you $5000 a year in dues. You also belong to a fishing club that costs you $3000 a year and a country club that cost you how much? I don't belong to a hunting club ,fishing club or country club eff you i drive a Porsche!  He laughed when i put it into perspective for him. Then the market crashed and i didn't lease the car. I waited a year, and bought then a toy car.

I can understand why a friend buys expensive wine and why another has a watch collection he could trade for a nice house. The porch is alonely place when you look back at your life and say "I'm getting 4% on the money i didn't use to do the things i really wanted to do."

[/quote]

Well said BG.

[quote=bb5]

I want to stay positive but also realistic.  CFP2BE I wish you luck and please don't take my thoughts as anything other than my thoughts, I could be wrong..  I am not sure what wholesalers still work in a "team" format other than Russell.  Are you an external or internal?  The days of making money and going home and forgetting about the responsibilities are long gone.  Will those days come back (90's) I hope so.  If that is what you are looking for then you might want to sell insurance.  On last thought, when you are independent you have the benefit of not having employees, you can run a 1 man show, bigger is not always better.  Build your business the correct way and in 3 years give indy serious thought.  Good luck...  As far as the car, if I was just starting out and did not need a large SUV for the kids and family I would look at a 2007ish 3 Series BMW.  Great car sets the right image with your clients, successful but not stuffy.  I would go to a small indy dealer and you may pay 14-20k. 

[/quote]

Buying a 3 series for 14k, you better know the dealer to be trustworthy, because it'll have issues and high mileage. 

[quote=gethardgetraw]

and don't give me that money doesn't buy happiness bullshit

[/quote]

Money buys peace of mind so you can do stuff that makes you happy. Up to a certain threshold. 

If you think things will continue to make you happy, you've either not had a lot of money in your hands or you're of shallow nature.