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New guy question


RedOwl

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Hello everyone. As you can guess I'm new to the forum.

My wife and I have bene toying with the idea of buying a boat for about three years, and have had our hearts set on a Malibu for about half that time.

We know why you have all fallen in love with your boats over other brands, and now that we're hooked, I don't think we can look at anything else.

But like everything in life, there's a catch:

You get what you pay for - and because of that a good Malibu is $55,000 + (we're really interested in the Sunscape 23 or 247)

Neither she nor I are mechanically inclined, so we'd really rather avoid getting an older boat.

We can afford the new boat

BUT

How do you get yourself over the buyers remorse, knowing that you could pay off a quarter of your mortgage instead of buying a boat?

I'm sorry if this post sounds whiny. Believe me, I want more than anything to own a Malibu. This is just the last hurdle we need to get over.

Any suggestions, anecdotes, mild sedatives would be welcome...

Brian

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With Global Warming, you'll never live long enough to pay off your mortgage anyway. The whole world will be under water, but you'll have a chance because you made a smart INVESTMENT in a high quality vessel to not only use recreationally with your family, but to save yourself once the world starts coming to an end. You'd be a fool not to protect your family and invest in their future saftey with this Malibu.

Say that to yourself while drinking a nice heavy cabernet, and all will be fine..... Wine.gif

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BUT

How do you get yourself over the buyers remorse, knowing that you could pay off a quarter of your mortgage instead of buying a boat?

I'm sorry if this post sounds whiny. Believe me, I want more than anything to own a Malibu. This is just the last hurdle we need to get over.

Any suggestions, anecdotes, mild sedatives would be welcome...

Brian

Brian,

It's about TIME... Time with your family, friends. Can't get time back, can't take it with you.

50 years from now you'll never look back and say gee I wish paid my mortgage down and didn't spend time with my family and friends on our boat. I wish we didn't learn to surf, ski, and wakeboard.

Just my 0.02...

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Hello everyone. As you can guess I'm new to the forum.

My wife and I have bene toying with the idea of buying a boat for about three years, and have had our hearts set on a Malibu for about half that time.

We know why you have all fallen in love with your boats over other brands, and now that we're hooked, I don't think we can look at anything else.

But like everything in life, there's a catch:

You get what you pay for - and because of that a good Malibu is $55,000 + (we're really interested in the Sunscape 23 or 247)

Neither she nor I are mechanically inclined, so we'd really rather avoid getting an older boat.

We can afford the new boat

BUT

How do you get yourself over the buyers remorse, knowing that you could pay off a quarter of your mortgage instead of buying a boat?

I'm sorry if this post sounds whiny. Believe me, I want more than anything to own a Malibu. This is just the last hurdle we need to get over.

Any suggestions, anecdotes, mild sedatives would be welcome...

Brian

The first time we had the family out on our new LSV - we forgot waht buyers remorse even was. Thumbup.gif

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BUT

How do you get yourself over the buyers remorse, knowing that you could pay off a quarter of your mortgage instead of buying a boat?

I'm sorry if this post sounds whiny. Believe me, I want more than anything to own a Malibu. This is just the last hurdle we need to get over.

Any suggestions, anecdotes, mild sedatives would be welcome...

Brian

Brian,

It's about TIME... Time with your family, friends. Can't get time back, can't take it with you.

50 years from now you'll never look back and say gee I wish paid my mortgage down and didn't spend time with my family and friends on our boat. I wish we didn't learn to surf, ski, and wakeboard.

Just my 0.02...

I couldn't have said it better! you can't take anything with you when you go so have fun now. we use our boat every weekend, great family time. just watch out, we love it so much that after 2 years of having it we bought a houseboat so we could spend more time at the lake. Biggrin.gif

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You don't have to spend 55k to get a dependable boat. Mechanically, not much has changed in the last 5 years (except DBW). 30-40k will get you the same dependability that 55k will, IMO. (not to mention lots of $$ left over)

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LOL.

I can't imagine life without a boat. And trust me, I NEVER thought I'd say that. I lived most of my life scared of water and unable to swim. I married into the Malibu family and in the last several years have become so accustomed to the life, that it's usually me that's out there scrubbing the boat, washing the carpet, etc.

Obviously, it's not an investment, but as a Malibu it does depreciate less than others from what I can tell. (I'll leave the financial specifics up to someone else). And as smart as paying off a mortgage would be, it's not very fun now is it? ;)

The boat is like a member of the family. We spend a lot of quality family time (and kid-free time) on that boat. It's so fun to see the kids tube, and learn water sports. Plus, some of the coolest people I've ever met have been through boating.

Buying a boat is a huge decision, but in my opinion, it's totally worth it. Thumbup.gif I hope that helps.

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You can get a slightly used boat and save some $$, without needing any special mechanical skills.

If we needed to justify and rationalize the expenses of boating, we wouldn't own boats.

As others have said, It's about being able to spend time with friends and family away from most distractions doing something that fun and just 'bonding'.

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Welcome.gif I have to say that I completely agree w/ all the above posts. First off, buying a new boat may leave you less worries than a used boat, but you could spend much less (I did) and still get a very dependable, very nice boat. JMO of course. And as for life w/o a boat, I couldn't imagine it either. My family and I spend nearly every weekend out on the water enjoying the quality time together. The people are great, the Bu's are great and you won't regret it one bit!!!!!!!!!

I will tell you one thing though, we here at the Crew are always more than willing to help you spend your money Biggrin.gif:werule:

Edited by SCOTTDOMINE
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Hello everyone. As you can guess I'm new to the forum.

My wife and I have bene toying with the idea of buying a boat for about three years, and have had our hearts set on a Malibu for about half that time.

We know why you have all fallen in love with your boats over other brands, and now that we're hooked, I don't think we can look at anything else.

But like everything in life, there's a catch:

You get what you pay for - and because of that a good Malibu is $55,000 + (we're really interested in the Sunscape 23 or 247)

Neither she nor I are mechanically inclined, so we'd really rather avoid getting an older boat.

We can afford the new boat

BUT

How do you get yourself over the buyers remorse, knowing that you could pay off a quarter of your mortgage instead of buying a boat?

I'm sorry if this post sounds whiny. Believe me, I want more than anything to own a Malibu. This is just the last hurdle we need to get over.

Any suggestions, anecdotes, mild sedatives would be welcome...

Brian

Because, paying off your house is no fun...It just delays the Malibu purchasing a couple of more years...plus think of how expensive that new Malibu will be in a couple years compared to now...

Have some fun! buy a boat! slightly used may not be a bad choice!

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Don't shy away from lowing your price limit a bit and looking for something a few years old. Remember, ski/wakeboard boat owners are a crazy breed that take care of their boats meticulously. Case in point, I purchased a 2000 RLX two years ago and the previous owner kept it in mint condition. I have done everything in my power to keep it that way as well, and I often get the "jaw drop" when people ask how old the boat is and I say; "Over 8 years"......that being said I saved a TON of green. A new RLX is pushing $35K....and V-drives you're looking at are way more. The moral of the story is, don't be afraid to start used, with some searching and test driving you will find some darn nice boats out there!!! Thumbup.gif

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I'll tell you a true story. My mom & dad bought a boat when I was 11 years old. Every Sunday and two weeks during the summer my sister & brother, some of our friends, me, and our parents were at the lake. My dad passed away at the young age of 45 when I was 21 years old. Some of our best family memories are of the times we spent at the lake as a family. Money can never replace that. We all need to live within our means, but if there is something that your really want, and you really can afford, buy it. Life is too short to be frugal about everything.

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I haven't tried this but some say if you throw in a porta-potty you can write-off the interest. I believe there is more to it, such as being fully self contained (water,sink, beds etc..). Some of us may be using the tax break though????

Edited by Squag Mon
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Buy used and save.. If nothing else, you can get back out of the boat a year or two later for nearly what you purchased it for. Lower risk & lower depreciation that way.

I don't know that paying off your mortgage is the best financial decision anyway (not that buying a boat is any better) ;) If you don't buy a boat, invest the money vs paying off your house.

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I simply look at it as $500/month in family entertainment expenses. I learn all I can from friends, etc... to keep the maintenance up and the costs down.

I try to use the boat year round so its easier to justify it that way. Plus, its an investment in my kids' future. I loved boating w/ my parents as a kid. I hope to offer the same to my own in hopes that it will keep them off the streets, and out of trouble.

I would have loved to bought used, but I'm gun shy of getting hosed on a deal, so I 'have' to buy new w/ warranty, etc... The Dallas dealer rocks too, so I really couldn't have gone wrong either way.

If this is truly your first boat, then I would definitely start cheaper. This is our 3rd boat, 2nd tow boat. You wouldn't buy a BMW for your first car would you? :)

Good luck on your decision whichever way you go.

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Hello and welcome to the crew!

Please don’t let either the independently wealthy opinions or the viewpoint of debt burdened (normal) people sway you about shelling out a huge monthly payment on a toy just because nobody else has been at the helm and it has a warranty.

If your already thinking twice about such a big commitment, there are not going to be enough good times out on the water to make you feel better each time that exorbitant monthly payment comes around. (The winter is really bad, paying for something you can’t use is the worst reminder)

The Malibu name is by far the best value in DD and VD boats hands down IMO and getting a good used one should not give you nightmarish problems.

With logical reason in mind, the money you would save could be used to pay down a mortgage sooner or put away for a good retirement. That way if your used boat needs a little maintenance, it would only take away from responsible investment on occasion instead of all the time.

This may be biased because of my ability to perform nearly all of my own work, but our 6 year old Sunsetter has not “needed” much and it had 350 hours when we got it.

I’m all for Malibu thriving, but my middle class income has to go many other places and I like having a significant amount left over after the monthly bills are paid to feel good about my finances. Maybe its just me but I prefer to have my money in the house and land it sits on knowing that it will be paid for before retirement years rather than parking that money in the drive way or the garage. (That includes our vehicles too)

The other night a good friend of mine from Church came over for dinner with his wife. During their stay he mentioned the expense of his new Dodge crew cab hemi truck. Expressing remorse about the poor fuel mileage, high insurance premiums, high annual registration taxes because of the assessed value and the burdening monthly payments.

So much so that he was considering getting rid of it. When I asked him what the taxed value of it was, my wife and I looked at each other then sort of chuckled, we shared the fact that of all of the vehicles in our driveway didn’t add up to $28000 even using the purchase prices! (2001 VW diesel beetle, 1999 C2500 diesel suburban, 1998 Plymouth grand voyager, and a 1993 Ford 3500 crew cab diesel dually BTW)

I kinda felt like we should not have laughed, hope he wasn’t hurt by it.

This just sets the tone for priorities and real fun time. Having plenty of gas money for the boat all season without putting it on any credit cards is a great feeling.

Being able to get our children all kinds of gear and take all our friends out as often as we want during the summer is also much better to us than having something to say ”look what we’ve got” now if I could only afford to go out on it more or put some extras on it.

And don’t forget “gee I hope it doesn’t break down because we can’t afford to fix it”

IMHO get a nicely keep, well maintained used one that not only fits your budget, but one that fits it very well so that some add-ons can be had while paying down the mortgage or what ever good financial sense will make you better off in the long run.

Rant is over, good luck

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BUT

How do you get yourself over the buyers remorse, knowing that you could pay off a quarter of your mortgage instead of buying a boat?

I'm sorry if this post sounds whiny. Believe me, I want more than anything to own a Malibu. This is just the last hurdle we need to get over.

Any suggestions, anecdotes, mild sedatives would be welcome...

Brian

Brian,

It's about TIME... Time with your family, friends. Can't get time back, can't take it with you.

50 years from now you'll never look back and say gee I wish paid my mortgage down and didn't spend time with my family and friends on our boat. I wish we didn't learn to surf, ski, and wakeboard.

Just my 0.02...

He's right.

Last year:

My Harley was used for = about 14 miles, no family.

The boat WITH the family ( pets too )=

2 week long vacations with the boat

Several 4 day excursions with the boat

Countless family hours sight seeing local areas from the water on the boat.

Teaching the kids to kneeboard, ski & tube from the boat.

Thousands of new family photos on the water.

This year - try to double the time on the boat.

To add to it, mine is used ( 1995 ) and I believe could not have found better boat for that year & type of boat. Solid, smooth, dependable & good looking - does what it should and maintenence is the same as anything else - wash wax & care for.

Edited by SFD
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Wow.

That's all I can say.

Wow.

Thank you for your quick AND qualified responses.

You've made some great points about used vs. new that we will definitely take to heart.

Now we just have to decide what we're looking for.

If anyone has any good shopping tips/suggestions on where to look/etc I'm eager to learn.

Thanks to everyone. I'm looking forward to becoming a member of this community.

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I'm a little late chiming in, but I was in the same quandary about a year and a half ago. I was contemplating it at a stop light when a car came speeding up behind me, slammed on his brakes, and stared spinning out of control. He missed me by less than a foot and came to a stop facing the opposite direction next to me.

Realizing I was nearly just killed or paralyzed for life. I pulled out my cell phone, called my wife and said "Meet me at the dealership, we are buying the boat!"

Haven't regretted it since. I am going out tomorrow and I can't wait!

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I have a question for you:

Why do you and your wife want to get a boat?

Your response to that single question will determine whether or not you will have buyers remorse. If you want the boat because you and your wife enjoy being around water, enjoy swimming, want it to be family activity, enjoy the sun, enjoy water sports, enjoy boat sex (that alone will remove any buyers remorse), and just chillin at that lake, then regardless of the price you WILL NOT have buyers remorse.

Now, if you want a $55k boat just to show off to your friends, the remorse will probably kick in real quick.

For most boat owners, there no place they would rather be then at the lake. Remorse will sink in if you have to force yourself to use the boat.

Good luck and be sure to keep us informed on your purchase.

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A lot of folks here have mentioned the wisdom (and low risk) of buying used. I totally agree.

Let me add some possible negative comments about buying NEW. Yes, sure you get to order all the bells and whistles you want.... but there have been a lot of threads re folks with new boats having to deal with niggly little problems..... that any avid boat owner will have "got fixed for you" in the first 2 years of life. Buying new I suspct you will go nuts deciding about which options to add and which to ignore. Then there's the colors.... and the wait. Yes, you could buy off the lot..... but I suspect you run the risk of small things needing dealer attention in the first summer. Buy a 2 year babied boat, and EVERYTHING will be dialed in for you. Lastly, not many people nail it bang on re ALL the right choices their first time in a boat. You may get it right, or at least close..... but if you laid down $50K+ and then find you'd like a DD vs a DD, or longer or shorter or whatever.... you're not likely going to want to lose out on the first year or 2 depreciation. Also, that first whack into the dock with a brand spanking new boat is VERY painful. Spend a bit less, and well..... the first dockside ding is a bit less painful.... regardless of who was driving.

I too vote for buying something 2 ~ 5 years old, babied to death..... and not only will you still be very happy, you'll be saving a lot of $$$.

Regardless..... just do it. You can drive yourself nuts trying to find the "best" solution. Just make a decision, and be marinely mobile in the next 4 months. New or used.... just get on with it. You'll never regret it. Welcome aboard.

And yes, we'll all help you find ways to spend MORE money.

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