How to buy a new(-ish) car

Likely, at some point in your life you will be faced with the prospect of buying a car. Sure, you've been driving the same old junker your older sister left you when she graduated, but now it's time to get your own wheels, a machine you choose yourself! With so many options out there, several books can be (and have been) written on how to buy a car. This post is going to be a brief summary and a starting point of the best way to get you on the road without paying too much.

Don't buy new

This advice has never been truer. The problem with new cars is that they are just too expensive for what you get. Instead, let someone else buy or lease it brand new, then sell it back 2-3 years later. At this point, the car's price has dropped by as much as 30%. Some people don't like to buy off-lease vehicles, claiming that they are driven harder and maintained more poorly. However, generally off-lease cars will still be covered under the manufacturer's warranty, and you should only buy cars that have a proven track record of being reliable anyways. In other words, a three year old Honda Civic is probably not far removed from a brand new one. Some manufacturers even offer free extra years of warranty for off lease vehicles; this type of warranty is typically not available for brand new vehicles.

Don't buy the extended warranty or gap insurance

These things are a great way for the dealer to make extra cash, but provide little value to you. The dealer will typically try to scare you into buying it, but stay strong. Most people really do not need this coverage, so you shouldn't either.

Negotiate

While the latest trend with car dealerships is to have a no-negotiation policy, everything is in fact negotiable. Remember, that the worst thing they can say is "we can't do that". There is zero harm in asking the questions. If they are firm on the price, ask them to throw in extras: new tires, floor mats, free oil changes, etc. Don't walk away from a good deal just because they say "no" to some of your requests, but don't give into the idea that the sticker price is the final price.

Call around

For better or for worse, car sale contract details are private between the buyer and the seller. This means that you have no way of knowing how much the cars are actually sold for. Your only weapon is getting the dealers to compete for your business. Basically, call 5-10 dealerships within a 100 mile radius of where you live and try to get the best price for the car you are looking for. Remember that since you are shopping for a used/pre-owned car they are all slightly different (this one has a sunroof, while that one has a navigation system, etc.) However, you should be able to get a pretty good ballpark of the price by doing this. After that, go to the dealership where the actual car you want is available and negotiate in person. If they offer you a price that's much higher than the other dealerships, make sure to show them printed out listings and prices you got elsewhere. If they do not bring the price down, simply leave, telling them to call you if the price comes down.

Remember that there are always more cars like the one you want getting to the dealers' lots every day, and the prices for them will keep coming down. Don't be afraid to walk away and have the car get sold: another one will take its place very quickly.

DIY home upgrades: shower head

This is a great upgrade to take on, since a shower is something you interact with almost every day. You can pick up a new shower head for as little as $15 at any hardware store. Pick the type you like: a fixed shower head, a shower head with a handle and a hose, or a combination of both. Some have a "pause" button to slow down the water: a great feature if your shower is on the small side.

You will also need silicone tape such as this one and possibly a wrench (if the old shower head cannot be removed by hand alone). If you don't already have a wrench of the right size, buy an adjustable wrench so that you can use it for several other projects.

To change the shower head, simply unscrew the old one and remove any remaining silicone tape left behind. After that's done, wind new tape around the threads layering it 3-5 over each other. Finally, screw on the new shower head. Make sure to not under or over tighten. Test if there are any leaks, and if you see any, either tighten the shower head or unscrew it and add more tape.

Bonus: now that you have all this silicone tape, you can use it to fix any of the other leaky shower heads around the house. You can also use it for any of the future plumbing upgrades covered by this blog.

Getting back your security deposit

It is no secret that getting your security deposit can be a challenge. Landlords/landladies are notorious for waiting until the last minute, or even citing bogus repair items to not give you your money back. Here are some ideas for how to make the process go smoother.

Start when you move in

If your landlady doesn't do a walk-through with you as you move in, take the time to take pictures of any issues you find. Compile them all together and email her, asking to acknowledge that the issues existed before you moved in. This is a great technique since it prevents you from having to argue about pre-existing conditions after you move out.

Be a good tenant

This cannot be overemphasized, but pay your rent on time, and take care of small repairs yourself. Don't call your landlord for every lightbulb that went out. This is not to say that you cannot call on them to fix legitimate problems, but generally the less he see your place when you are there, the less chance they have to scope out the things they'll be charging you for later. Being on their good side is most of the battle.

Keep your place clean at the end

As you are getting ready to move out, your landlady will likely want to come by and check the place out. She will probably want to perform a few repairs, perhaps even re-paint some of the rooms. After this is complete she will be bringing perspective tenants by to show them around. During this period it is best to keep everything tidy. This benefits you in two ways: first, the landlady will be by less to do the repairs and will spend less time navigating around your stuff. Second, the perspective tenants will like the place better and it will rent faster. This is especially important to keep yourself on your landlady's good side, but also to have less people there.

Mow the lawn and clean appliances

If you have a lawn, mow it right before you move out. Let the landlord know you'll be doing this, so they don't arrange for a crew to come out and do it at your expense. Depending on where you live, having someone else do it can eat into your security deposit quite a bit.

You should also give your fridge, oven and microwave a good once-over. These are the items often neglected by the tenants, but can require a costly visit from a cleaning crew. Remember that while these things might have been dirty when you moved in, the landlady might want them clean for the next tenant. While this is not fair, a little elbow grease can save you some money at the end.

Lastly, when you move out, make sure to not leave anything behind. While you don't need to vacuum and dust everything, you will want the place "broom clean". Most of all, don't leave anything smelly or gross. This can, once again, warrant a costly visit from a cleaning crew.

Leave a forwarding address

Make sure your landlord knows where to send your deposit. Remember that he has 30 days (varies by jurisdiction) to find and perform any repairs before having to return your deposit. Check your state's laws regarding security deposits to see what the exact regulations are.

One other thing: never use your security deposit for your last month's rent. This would be breaking your lease and not a very nice thing to do. Instead, follow the above advice and you should be able to get all or most of your deposit back in most circumstances.

How to find the best place to live in a new city

Moving to a new city can be difficult. One of the biggest questions most people face is "where am I going to live?" Avoiding bad neighborhoods can be trickier than expected, and even though lots of tools on the web can help you find listings of apartments and houses for rent (or sale), it is not always easy finding the right fit. Here are some things you can do to make your search easier.

Get an agent

Real-estate agents can be a life savers when it comes to moving to an unfamiliar area. It is their job to know the neighborhoods and the market. Generally, if you are looking for a place to rent, the money will not come out of your pocket. Instead, the agent will collect half of the first month's rent from the landlord. Most agents have a specialty: they either work on finding rentals or buying/selling. If you know the agent personally or through a referral, an agent who specializes in sales may make an exception in your case in the hope of you buying a house later.

One reason not to use a real-estate agent would be because you are looking for a more informal place to rent. Generally, real-estate agents don't deal with places where you'd have a roommate, or where the landlady doesn't wish to use an agent of her own. These types of living situations are generally advertised on Craigslist, but will not be found in the MLS (the listing system real-estate agents use).

Rent vs buy: rent first

While it may seem counter-intuitive if you know that this is the place where you want to stay for a while, you should rent for about a year first. In a lot of places (though not all of them) renting is going to be cheaper. Also, you are not going to be locked in for the next 15-30 years. Renting first lets you scope out the different areas of your new city and figure out where you'd like to stay long term. Most people find that they end up changing their minds about exactly where they want to live long-term after becoming more familiar with the neighborhood.

Keep out of bad neighborhoods

Nobody wants to live in high crime or high noise areas. Make sure to visit the neighborhood both on weekdays and weekends, mornings and evenings. While Google Street View provides a great tool for looking at what the neighborhood might look like, the images for it are generally taken during the day. You should also check the reported crime stats on a site like CrimeReports.com.

Most of all, make sure you can see yourself living in the place you end up renting for longer than you plan. Things change, and you might end up staying an extra year, etc.