My 3 Most Recent Auction Purchases & Why I Bought Them

From the outside, car flipping may seem like a very simple, basic process of just buying a car and selling it for more than you paid for it. For the most part, that is true; however, there can be a little strategy to it. In this week's episode, I want to talk about why I purchased the last 3 vehicles that I did from the auction. The reasons play into my strategies for low expenses, maximum value, respectable reliability, and a target audience most likely to want my vehicles and likely expedite the sales. Also, we've recently added My Toolbox to The Car Flip website. This page is a list of tools and resources I regularly use that may also be useful for you. Just a heads up, the links on that resource page are affiliate links, meaning if you click on them, you'll be taken to Amazon, and if you make a purchase thereafter, I will receive a small commission from your purchases at no extra cost to you. Those commissions are quite small, but they do help to subsidize costs associated with this show and The Car Flip.    ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ► Show Notes:   ► (6:20) 2003 Cadillac Escalade Why I bought it: It has a 3rd-row. 3rd-row seating has been a big seller for me. People with larger families like the extra seating, and some people like the ability to transport friends. The odometer wasn't working. However, after tinkering with the dash (I hit it) the odometer flashed on and I was able to see that it only had ~155k miles. Many people drive these to death, so I was bidding on this knowing the true mileage while other bidders may have been more leary. It's a GM product, essentially it's a Tahoe with a bigger motor, so the vehicle is reliable, and any issues I may encounter will be easy to fix. I did a test drive the vehicle and it feels great. Also, cosmetically, the vehicle has been well taken care of. I bought this for $2500, and I am looking to price this at $5500. The going price for this vehicle in my area is anywhere from 5k-6k. I'm allowing about $500 in repairs. It does need one trim piece, it has been detailed, it will need an A/C diag since the A/C worked at auction but has since quit. So, with only $3000 invested, I should be well within my $2k profit margin. ► (10:45) 2010 VW Routan Why I bought it: Again, this too is a third-row vehicle. The VW Routan is a Chrysler product. This particular model is essentially the same as a Chrysler Town & Country or a Dodge Grand Caravan. Has the exact same engine that is in the Town & Country, and the same side doors, interior, stow-and-go seats, etc. Leather Interior, Touch Screen, Dual DVD in the top The vehicle was dirty & the previous owner must have smoked in it. Now, this would seem like a negative, but I and my detailing guy are willing to put in the extra work to remove that smell from the car and restore it. Mechanically, the car is sound. The only real necessity was the covers that go in the two holes for the fog lights, and one zip tie took the place of a broken clip holding the front bumper up. She's good to go. This one has only 85k miles. These are being listed in my market at 7k or more at 120k minimum miles, so I'll be listing this at or around $7000. With only $4500 invested in this vehicle, I should definitely hit my $2000 profit margin. ► (16:38) 2006 VW Tourag Why I bought it: This one, in particular, is in really good shape It has very few minor imperfections, including 1 missing floor panel piece that hides wiring (currently exposed) Everything functions, but as with most VWs, the labels on the interior buttons have faded off or wiped away. I managed to purchase a very inexpensive sticker pack to restore those. 144k miles & nice leather, luxury interior feel despite not really being a luxury vehicle. I bought this for $2600, and I can see this selling for $6500, but I'll be listing it at $5500. I'm going on the low end with the price, looking for a quick profit while also helping someone to take this nice bang-for-your-buck vehicle.   A bonus 4th vehicle I'll talk about is a Jeep Commander that I also purchased. Unfortunately, despite test driving the vehicle, I was unable to foresee the blown headgasket issue until getting the vehicle on the highway to take it home... It's okay though. I bought the full fix kit for this job and outsourced an additionally, reasonably priced mechanic to knock this job out for me.    ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ► Other ways to connect with The Car Flip: ► The Car Flip Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/groups/thecarflip ► The Car Flip Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/thecarflip ► The Car Flip Website: https://thecarflip.com/ ► The Car Flip Podcast: https://thecarflipshow.com/ ► The Car Flip Course: https://thecarflipcourse.com/   ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ► DISCLAIMER: This podcast and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and buy one yourself, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support the channel and allows us to continue to make content like this.