Saturday, January 28, 2012

Theme Song

Friday, January 20, 2012

Selling a Car on Craigslist!

This is how I did it. It took longer than I expected, but not because of shady people or not getting responses.

I managed to get a response for my car within a few hours of posting it for sale on Craigslist. I conversed first through email - sent more photos, sent them the VIN # so they could order a Carfax report if they wanted it.

Then they wanted to see it. So we set up a day and time. The greatest thing was - they actually showed up! As anyone selling ANYTHING on Craigslist knows... this is the biggest hurdle.

Before they show up:
  • Make car pretty - get it washed, vacuumed, dusted... the works.
  • Know what your car is worth - and what you're willing to take for it. RESEARCH! Kelly Blue Book is pretty much the go to guide, and your buyers will be looking on that as well.
  • Make sure you have your Title and any other paperwork already to go - in case they have the cash and want to buy it then and there. You can print out a Bill of Sale and if the car is still under warranty like mine was, see if it can be transferred and what that entails.
  • Set up a meeting place if not comfortable doing it at your house, and get someone else to be with you.
Test drive - make sure they have a license. I went on the test drive with them - I definitely wouldn't let anyone test drive it without me in the car. If they have a problem with this either tell them to go away, or tell them you are required to be in the car for insurance purposes.

They want to buy!
In my case, they were financing through their credit union. This took 2 weeks - until it finally came to a bad ending, they pulled their accounts from the CU, went to another CU and it was completed within a day. So all was well in the end, and I held out so they could buy the car from me, because they were good people and I liked them.

Take cash or a cashier's check only! No Paypal, money order, personal check...  too many scams out there and they can easily slip a fake check or MO to you. And on PayPal they can file some sort of false claim and get their money back after they have your car. NO COOL.

Better yet - go to the bank with them - get handed the cashier's check or cash right there. No chance of scam, you hand over keys, everyone's safe and happy.

They drive away...
Call your insurance provider and take the car off the policy. That way you are not libel for anything. Its out of your hands. Job done.

Most importantly - if you don't get a good vibe or anything seems off about the potential buyers.
Back out. Find another buyer.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Less Stuff

Downsizing... I do this EVERY TIME I move. I'm very good at getting rid of STUFF.

What I'm not so good at getting rid of are my books - mostly text books. If I end up going back to work as an osteologist, books I will need. So I lug those around. Everything else though, gets the once over and sent to the Goodwill bag if I can't come up with a decent enough reason to keep it.

Soon, I'll be showing how I set up my SUV to live in. I'm still figuring out the logistics of that, and wrapping up the sale of my car. Fingers crossed that is happening TODAY.


Today.
Please for the love my sanity. TODAY.

Everything I owed fit in my little Hyundai Elantra... so in theory everything plus a make shift bed WILL fit in my Expedition. I'm reorganizing into drawers from big plastic containers to make finding things easier and more accessible. Separating areas. All will be revealed soon. That, and a little how-to with my experience selling a car on Craigslist. Oh the joy.

banjo art for sale

Sunday, January 15, 2012

$15 OFF!

Who doesn't love a good coupon?

Among other things, I'm a photographer. I have a website over on Fine Art America that I sell prints on - they can be ordered in a just about any size you could possibly need, and you can get it matted and framed, canvas, acrylic... or just the print!

SO... the discount I'm offering is $15 off your order over there. And the best part is, you won't see these prints in everyone elses house on the block - no generic IKEA art here!

Just use COUPON CODE: JJXTFV
Art Prints

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Going full out NOMAD

I abandoned this blog a while ago so time to pick up the pieces.

Lets do a run down of the past year, shall we?
  • Moved back from the UK.
  • Bought car, had job set up, moved to Rhode Island.
  • Job did serious damage to my sanity, quit after a month in stunning fashion.
  • Went to Virginia and stayed a week.
  • Travelled to North Dakota to visit SIL/neice/brother... stayed for a while, couldn't find work.
  • Moved to Denver to help friend with City Council campaign. 
  • Got job, moved to Aurora for several months.
  • Job slowly destroyed my will to live.
  • Left Denver for Louisiana, where I am currently and got a job for the Christmas season.

Now I'm ready to hit the road again... but this time for good.
I'm selling my sedan, buying an SUV I can live in the back of, and going permanently nomadic.

This blog will be where I log my ventures. Where I go, what I see, what I'm doing.

I'll be trying my hand at workamping, going back to archaeology, photographing more to sell on my WEBSITE, keeping up with my ETSY sales, and maybe doing some freelancing.


So, task one for the week is sell my car. I've already got an SUV ready to purchase from a neighbor as soon as I do. The rest is just details.

Watch this space....