wrote:
I am trying to negotiate a price for a used sailboat. ?Is it
appropriate to offer 10% below what they are asking? ?First time for
this - don't want to offend the seller, but also want to make the best
deal for myself. ?Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks...Cate

Thanks for all the info. Just FYI - it isn't a daysailor - its 27ft.

Well that could still be a daysailor. Plenty of open keelboats that
size & bigger (Soling, Atlantic, Shields, etc etc).

Bear in mind that most boats change hands at a price averaging 15%
below the original asking price. When putting together an offer, make
a list of everything that you would want fixed or upgraded on the boat
and price that out; then put together a list of similar boats and find
out what they sold for. Just call up the brokers and ask, if you are
polite & straightforward they will usually be glad to talk with you.
The amount you decide to pay for the boat doesn't necessarily bear any
relation to what the seller wants to get!

Another thing to bear in mind is that an offer is really more than
just a number. There are always conditions attached and those can be
favorable to either buyer or seller- for example, the expiration of
the offer: longer is better for the seller. Closing terms can be
arranged any way you like, as long as the bank's requirements are
satisfied.

Another bit of important advice- choose your own surveyor, not one
recommended by the broker. Then, when he is surveying the boat, spend
the time to go over every inch of the boat with him. This will be a
great learning opportunity even if you don't end up buying the boat.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King