[Slanski62]

Hi folks. This is a sincere post. My last P car purchase was an impulse decision. As a result, I over paid for a car that's not exactly what I want. So this time, I want to do things the right way. I've done a lot of research, and I've found a car on auction I like. My specific questions are these:

I want a PPi. What's the protocol to get one on a car that's on auction? Do I get the imspection before I even bid? Can I buy the car subject to a clean PPi? And what is a clean ppi? I guess this process is negotiable, but I would like to know what's a reasonable request and what's not.

How do I determine a fair price? I've been on Haberty's site. It looks to me like the site makes no allowance for mileage, options, recent major work, etc. How do I account for these things? Also, it looks like most dealer sales are leading the market prices, sometimes by a lot. I would think that most of the cars you see are no better than a 2 condition, and if it has been driven a 100,000 miles, it's hard for me to believe the car is better than a 3. Am I thinking about this the right way?

What am I missing? Any thoughts, or suggestions are much appreciated.

Steve Yeatts
Chapel Hill, NC