Besides Boattrader is anyone aware of some good websites were i can find boats for sale by owner? Most recent experience with brokers has been dissappointing. As an example when i asked about the batteries on two different boats i was told that they were brand new. In one case when I opened the battery boxes i found different battery makes with black and corroded terminals. In the second case i was told that the batteries were all new AGM's. Inspection revealed wet cell batteries that did not look new. On another boat I traveled 180 miles to meet with the broker. Luckily after the first hour he called and said that he could not find the keys to the boat. After speaking with the seller he reported that the boat was under contract. You would think that he could have confirmed the appointment beforehand. I have also found that many dont have any knowledge of the boats. When i ask if the boat is cored or soild i am told that they are not sure. You would think that they did some research about the product that they are about to show a prospective buyer. Anyway, any leads would be appreciated.
If you want to go FSBO in that demo you're going to limit yourself to a very small fraction of the market. Another option would be to find a knowledgeable broker that you are comfortable with and stick with him rather than deal with an unknown entity on every inquiry.
Building a relationship with a professional you trust can always reap benefits. I would choose buying through a reputable (note I emphasize the word reputable very strongly) professional anyday than from an individual I don't know.
Why is the state of the boat's batteries so important on a 58' SF? Most of the owners of the yachts that I manage couldn't even tell you where the batteries are located, much less when they've been changed last. They simply tell me to maintain the vessel and I change them as they're needed, half of them don't even look at the bill.....
Actually that may be a good reason to ask. For example if you (or another professional) were properly maintaining the boat I'd be very surprised if the batteries were in bad shape. On the other hand to have an owner tell me they are AGM and then find out they are lead-acid raises a lot of questions. He obviously never checked them. Did anybody? Did he pay someone to maintain the boat and they just pocketed some/all of the money? Would the owner know if that happened? Maybe the owner is just clueless about the boat and all answers are suspect. Maybe the captain was as clueless as the owner.
And maybe you just figure you're going to buy a new $2,000 set of batteries and start fresh, just like you do every 2-3 years anyways on that type of boat.....figure 2 years....because the banks are smaller than larger.....