Amanda,
Your rather vague description of what airplane you are looking for to buy might be a symptom of the groups not setting down and figuring it out or worse multiple sub groups pulling for different things. This must be ironed out immediately before you go any farther.
HP vs low, Complex vs simple, Hi wing vs Low wing, 2 seat vs 4 seat, trainer vs cruiser, VFR vs IFR. GPS vs no GPS, Waas vs non waas. Autopilot vs no autopilot. Run out engine or low hours. High time Airframe or low time airframe.
You really need to pound out the details. when you can describe exactly what you want then you will be much closer to zeroing in on that target.
for example:
We want to spend between $40-50k possibly $55k, allowing us to have some money int he fund for first annual type stuff.
It needs to be IFR GPS/waas.
It needs to have at least 2+2 seats (like a cherokee)
or 4 seats like a 172 or Cardinal.
Prefer 180hp but willing to consider 150hp.
Non complex, non high performance, fixed prop.
Prefer Mogas available STC.
We prefer low wing but if the rigth plane came along with high wing we will not rule it out.
It must be an aluminum airframe/wing
Too many cooks spoil the broth.
Timeliness is important.
Come up with the objectives, the must haves, the like to haves and the nice to haves and then appoint one or two people to peruse it with all due diligence.
Give them the power to call and immediate emergency web-meeting so that they can make the deal or better yet give authority to someone who is willing and capable of doing it.
Your group can and should already work out how a deal is to be handled.
Offer based on final inspection, prebuy, who is to do the prebuy and so on, escrow agent to hold the deposit, whether a group member must see the plane first or initiate mechanic remotely to do prebuy.
One last thing, before spending money on a prebuy you need to be clear with the owner if he is willing to bring the plane up to airworthy condition as well as average or better condition if the value/price offered is an average price. That all instruments, systems and subsystems will be in working order or paid by him to bring them up to that condition.
If the guy says no, take it or leave it no matter what comes out of the prebuy walk away as he expects you to spend $### to figure out what his junk is. Ive heard guys paying 3-4 prebuys only to find out that the owners are real dicks about it and won't give an inch.
The aircraft is his aircraft until you buy it but you do not want to buy someones junk. It is up to him to prove to you that the airplane is airwrothy and in at least average condition if that is what your are paying for. If you are paying above average then he needs to bring it up to above average condition. Never take a plane with any failed components without heavily deducting from the average or poor condition price of the offer.
Setup the deal right to begin with or walk away. Or else you become lambs in the slaughter.
If no one in your group has the time, or the group trusts no one then going with a broker could be an option.
That's the question. Our club has been shopping for a "new" plane for the past couple of months and have been striking out for various reasons (not moving fast enough on planes we like, not finding the right plane to pursue a pre-buy often enough, or just generally being a group of dudes with a lot of things going on other than scouring the marketplace for the aircraft that will fit our must-haves for the right price). From your perspective, do you think a buyer broker is a must-have when shopping for a plane, or have you found it to be an unnecessary luxury? I'm just talking about shopping for a basic single-engine GA plane on an average budget, not a Learjet for a recent Powerball winner or anything like that. Any insight would be appreciated, thanks!
