When it comes to cars, you need to be a little bit wiser—that is, learn to invest in not only cheap but also reliable and durable vehicles. To understand this, let’s pretend that car A costs you only $15,000 to purchase. However, within 5 years, maintenance and repair is worth $8,000. Now there’s another vehicle that is about $19,000, but it’s durable and steady that maintenance and repair is only an additional $3,000. Math may be skewed, but I believe you get what I mean: it’s not always about the price.
However, more often than not, the most reliable and quality-performing vehicles in the market can throw you off in terms of price. They can be as much as $30,000 and above. Surely, you can consider financing, but we all know financed cars tend to be more expensive in the long run. Not to mention, you still have other fees and auto insurance to pay.
If you’re living in Fairfax, Virginia, and you wish to own vehicles at wholesale prices, you may want to consider government auctions instead.
Indeed, auctions are not limited to big auction houses such as Sotheby’s or eBay. The government also comes up with these auctions as a way of letting go some of their assets, including vehicles.
Government auto auctions often ensure that the vehicles sold are:
In good condition—all cars need repair and maintenance. The great thing about a government-owned vehicle is it’s well maintained. The government, after all, sets aside a part of its budget just for that. Sellers also go through an extensive bidding process to ensure the cars purchased are really of good value.
Clean—Being clean means it doesn’t have any attached conditions. You see, not all vehicles sold in the market or even in auctions are “clean.” The previous owner, for example, may have used the car as collateral or its ownership is being contested. While these types of cars are often old at a much cheaper price in auctions, you will also be wary buying and eventually driving them. Government-auctioned cars, except those that have been seized by police, are more likely to have clean titles.
Affordability—Perhaps the biggest advantage of joining a Fairfax County government auction is you can get the car you like for a wholesale price. Many of these vehicles can be won at as much as 50% to 75% their trade-in or market value. That means it’s something you can afford, and if you decide to resell it, you have a very good leverage to get a handsome profit.
How do you take tabs on these government auctions? You can visit Fairfax County Surplus Property Auction or Sheriff’s Sale of Seized Vehicles. If you want a more comprehensive access to Fairfax County auctions, subscribe to auction listing websites such as Gov-auctions.org. These sites have a database of virtually all government auctions programs in the country, including those that are rarely advertised. By subscribing, you will know which auctions are in your county as well as in neighboring areas, giving you more opportunities to bid and win a reliable car at a wholesale price.
