Purchasing advice

[UngaWunga]

Exactly, and if the guy lost his medical and let the annual lapse a year, BFD

For me the big one would be if the plane was kept inside, that's a large factor, especially if the plane wasn't being flown, worked on, washed, touched, for months on end.

Yup, kept outside. Another reason I'm not losing sleep over this.

 

[Rcmutz]

Send the seller a message:

"Sorry, but I'd like to see the annual complete before I go any further. That being said, if you complete the annual with no issues, then I'll get the pre-buy completed, with a contract that provided there are no discrepancies >$1000 in total to repair, I'll buy the airplane. I'll also put $1000 toward your cost of the annual if I buy"

I don't think the annual is a big deal. The Pre-Buy IS!

Use your own mechanic who knows the breed for the pre-buy. Engines are engines, mags are mags, brakes are brakes, but airframe nuances are unique to the breed. For example, I would never buy a Cardinal w/o someone who know what to look for, for the spar carry-through corrosion. I would never buy a Bo w/o a mechanic who knows how to inspect for the spar AD. You can NOT trust the seller or who he may use for your pre-buy or annual, just before you buy the plane. I'd rather buy a plane w/o a "fresh" annual, let MY mechanic inspect it as a pre-buy and enough to get it home safely (ie ferry permit). The offer price should take into account you are going to annual it when you get it home as well as any cost to fix discrepancies.

 

[UngaWunga]

So I've found out why I've been missing out on all the good low hour 172s with decent avionics. Just missed out on another one, by an hour or so. Buyer has been shopping in the US for a while, buying up 172s, taking off the wings, and shipping them to Singapore. He got this one before I could get to it.

 

[Henning]

So I've found out why I've been missing out on all the good low hour 172s with decent avionics. Just missed out on another one, by an hour or so. Buyer has been shopping in the US for a while, buying up 172s, taking off the wings, and shipping them to Singapore. He got this one before I could get to it.

You bet, most of the guys I find planes for are shipping them overseas, and they don't want junk.

This is the result of growing foreign economies by shrinking ours rather than growing ours.

 

[Ventucky Red]

Just pithed an offer on a plane w/annul coming up... owner said he wouldn't bother with it, and the price was predicated on that... and being sold as is... and price is firm...

The plane was overpriced, and I walked...

 

[Henning]

Just pithed an offer on a plane w/annul coming up... owner said he wouldn't bother with it, and the price was predicated on that... and being sold as is... and price is firm...

The plane was overpriced, and I walked...

Good move. One thing I look for in a deal, as well as offer, is a fresh annual with the sale. I figure I got the plane with one, I deliver with one, and yeah, I realize what it will likely cost, it's just fair trade. People who don't want to bother with it typically know they are misrepresenting their product.