fair market value

[jobrien]

I will be putting my 2006 RSB up for sale in October. Trying to figure out a fair price. My question for others who have bought and/or sold a BF, how did you determine a fair price for it?

Also, how did you handle the financial end of it? I've heard that you can't even trust certified bank checks, as they can turn out to be phony after the deposit is made.

Thanks ahead of time for any knowledge you can share.

John

[whemme]

John,

I have no real advice for you on listing a value for your Born Free FOR SALE other than to review the asking prices on similar coaches listed in our FOR SALE section on this website and review the RV values in the RV section of the NADA website.

However I do have advice on what method of payment to accept. Both bank certified checks and cashiers checks are now frequently fraudulent and I would not accept either. The only safe payment in my opinion is either cash or via bank to bank wire funds transfer. Advise whoever is interested in your coach to visit his bank prior to meeting with you to advise and prepare the bank for a possible wire transfer to your bank account. Then on the day that you meet and if he decides to buy your coach,have his bank do the wire transfer of the funds to your bank account. Do not sign over the title until you check with your bank that the wire transfer has been completed and the funds are in your account.,

[jobrien]

Thanks Bill. That was along the lines I was thinking. As the time gets closer, I'll go to my bank and see what they suggest also.

Coming up with a price will be the hard part:)

John

[bcope01]

Or go to the buyers bank with him when he obtains the bank check. That's what I did on my last big sale.

Bill

[jobrien]

Good idea Bill, if it's a local sale.

[Laker]

I think your location also plays a part. I searched for some time in the IN, OH, MI area to find a used Born Free. After some great trips, I traded it for a Class A,....big mistake, now looking for a 27' RSB. Anyway, the dealer still has it almost 2 years later. He is a friend and has it found it hard to find someone who knows the value of BF and is able to travel to look at it.

Just my $.02 worth

[Ann P]

I have the same situation. I want to put my 2008 24RB up for sale soon and have been trying to work out a fair value, looking at the few comparable BFs for sale on the forum or nationally. When my coach was new, I ordered various options that are now considered standard on BF and other RVs (generator,etc.) And I have added expensive things like sway bars, super springs, better shocks and converter, so on. Yet when I casually talked with a big RV dealer on my travels this summer, he focused on the NADA book value by just age and mileage; he really didn't care about anything else. The good news was he thought the Born Free would sell quickly. (sure, wholesale for me, retail $$ for him). He also said, " you're better off putting it on Craig's List". Which I 'd rather not do.

So it's hard to figure, since you don't want to price yourself out of the market. And in my case, I'm traveling in MT, ID, WY and CO the next few weeks and would be open to showing the coach to prospects in the area. I agree on the bank transfer of funds advice , and I also wonder how the bill of sale and temporary tag is handled. For instance, if the BF is titled in one state, and the buyer lives in another, and the sale happens in a third...hmmm?

Would be helpful to hear more from others who have gone through this. Thanks.

[harrisgowing]

A few comments based upon the sale of our 2003/2004 RSB in 2014 and its subsequent resales in the last year. Our unit had 125,000 miles so our subsequent sale price was comparable to units with fewer miles that were up to 5 years older. Mileage seems to be the most important factor in what the buyer is willing to pay if the buyer wants to travel much. If the buyer is going to travel back and forth to the south to snow bird in one place, it may not be so much of a factor. A dealer will definitely focus on the NADA value based upon year of the model and mileage and it will be lower than it should be if you have added important extras. Be sure that the model year assigned by Born Free is the same as the model year of the chassis. Frequently the chassis is a year older and that will be the basis of the NADA value no matter what model year was assigned by Born Free. That of course lowers the price and you should disclose the difference so that you are not accused of any fraud. I think your best bet is to list first on the Born Free website and go from there. We had several inquiries based upon that posting.

As to the mechanics of a self sale, we checked online for the requirements of Michigan where the unit was titled and the requirements for the buyer based upon his/her state of residence. We decided as retired transactional attorneys that it is the ultimate responsibilty of the buyer to comply with his/her state's requirements but we researched to be sure that we were not a party to any fraudulent behavior. We did take a check for certified funds but verified that the funds were available prior to the transfer.

Hope this helps and good luck!
Judy Harris

[jobrien]

Thanks Judy.

John

[harrisgowing]

You are welcome and I sure hope you are not leaving the Born Free family?!

[Brent]

When I bought mine we pulled up the NADA values and negotiated a price from there based on condition and mileage. I think I paid an extra $1000. One may not feel that it represents market but it will at least give you a reference point.

Go to NADA website. They have an RV section. Usually BF isn't listed in the list of brands - scroll down to the bottom where it says list all brands. It is there.

Brent

[John S.]

I was just at the Factory looking at getting a new BF and I was told mine should sell for a bit over retail blue book if I sell it myself. Most are selling that high and if they buy it they will give less then retail. They seem to be less generous then they were the last time I sold but they were upfront and said I would get a lot more selling it myself. I am thinking of getting a coach on the F550 with no slide and a dedicated Bed.

[harrisgowing]

We really like our 2015 on the F550! More power, more room because of the wider body and straight taller roof. The cab is also more quiet than our 450 was. We are very happy that we made the choice to invest in a new coach.