Personal Vehicle
this may seem silly but does the type vehicle you drive have any psychological impact on the borrowers? I drive a Nissan Armada and while not over the top certainly is worth more than some of the houses I might look at. do you park a block away and walk, does having a nice vehicle send a subliminal message that you've got enough money to make this work, or should I just go buy a nice little Toyota for when I want to approach people.
I think it impacts them. If someone pulls up in a "shit shaker" v. a brand new lexus, how would that impact you.
I'm anoyed that by broker drives a Jag.
A lot of discussion on here seems to say that a lot of people recommend showing up in a nice clean truck. It shows that you are hardworking and not afraid of work. It's more of a "practical" vehicle if you will.
Personally I drive an Acura CL (Acura's lowest production mid-priced model which was recently discontinued) which is a sharp car but not flashy. I get comments on it all the time but it is all positive.
I also have an old 85 chevy full size van with ladder racks to use as my work vehicle but I do not drive that except to job sites.[ Edited by myfrogger on Date 06/01/2004 ]
Consider this fact:
You are most likely dealing with a customer that is in financial distress!
Their mentality is normally vary judgmental towards folks who display wealth!
They fill taken advantage of and when you display wealth by appearance or the vehicle you drive will be a major disadvantage in your negations. You will be seen as a vulture. They think you are there to take advantage of them.
I simply dress basic levies and a nice pull over shirt with a ball cap on. I have a vehicle just for dealing with financial distressed folks; it's a clean 1991-ford pickup that the average person can afford.
This places me on an equal playing field with my customer
They say (who ever they are) it is best to dress a little above your seller. The car would go along with your dress. Not so far above that they can not relate to you, not equal or below or they will not respect you.
I have also read the you should of course remove any "I BUY HOUSES" from your car or person. They would be horrified that the neighbors or family will see them. Also best to park right in front of the house, maybe even in the drive. It is best that they see a car when you ring the bell. A single man standing at the door, without a car in sight is suspicious. So parking down the street and walking is not the best approach.
Brenda