Dallas Economy Tight Due To Low Crude Oil Prices

American motorists are enjoying the lowest gas prices in a decade but the low crude oil prices are pounding the Dallas economy and the economies of other Texas cities that are heavily reliant on the oil industry for taxes and employment opportunities. When the oil business suffers, it doesn’t take long for the ripple effect to hit the businesses that sell to the oil industry and the retailers who sell to oil employees.

It will get better but can you wait for it to happen?

BLOGdallaseconomyIf you have been hit by this downturn you have probably made every cut in your expenses that you can. However, shopping smarter for goods and services, cutting down on entertainment, watching your energy costs and paying down debt when possible can only go so far. If you find yourself searching the cushions for loose change, you know you need some kind of financial backup to be ready for those unexpected expenses that always seem to happen at the worst time.

But how do you build a safety net when you’re living month to month?

Consider Cash For Your Car

Selling your car may sound like a drastic step and if it’s the only one you have and you need it for work and public transportation or carpooling is not a viable option then you probably shouldn’t. Or maybe you should. In Dallas and all over the country there is a changing attitude towards car ownership being driven by millennials mostly.

Alternative means of transportation like Uber and Lyft are far less expensive than owning a car and generally are less expensive, more responsive, and safer than taxis. Even Hertz has a program that touts rent the ride not the car and has established a low cost membership based program where you can rent a car for an hour or a vacation.

If cash is a real problem now, selling your car can give you a cushion. The question is how do you go about it?

Selling Your Car for Cash

If you make the decision to sell your car there are basically two ways to go…do it yourself via CraigsList and endure all the hassle that involves or sell it to a dealer. If you want the cash now…like today, the DIY route is definitely out.

That leaves you with dealers and if your vehicle is high mileage or over 5 years old you are going to hear all the reasons why it isn’t worth top dollar…except for one place.

IQ Auto Buyers specializes in buying (not selling) used cars. In fact you won’t have to drive down to their lot to get a quote, just fill out the handy online form and they will send you one. If you like the price take your car to their lot and they will inspect it, fill out all the transfer paperwork and pay you on the spot. Simple, fast and a fair price.

Pull out your smartphone and use the Uber app to get a ride home!

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Selling Your Dallas Motorcycle Made Easy

Remember when you bought your motorcycle? It looked so cool then and you could see yourself cruising the streets and freeways of Dallas and looking pretty cool yourself. You had a lot of fun on that bike, met some interesting people, had a few close calls and got satisfaction out of working on it yourself.

And then life happened.

BLOGsellmotorcycleYou meet somebody, get married, have a kid or two and suddenly a two seat saddle just isn’t enough. You need something that carries everyone and has the cargo space for groceries. You need a car. But just because you add an automobile you don’t get rid of the motorcycle. You know you’ll still go cruising on it so you keep up the insurance and registration, except it turns out you really don’t use it all that much and it just takes up space in the garage.

2008 arrived and the Dallas economy, like economies in cities across the nation took a dive and it has been slow to recover. Maybe you find yourself in a financial squeeze even today. You cut your expenses as best you could but you still could use an influx of money into your slimmed down bank account.

The next step is to sell off an asset you don’t need. You can’t sell your car for cash because it is the family’s transportation but there is that motorcycle sitting in the garage.

Avoid the Hassle of Selling a Motorcycle in Dallas

If you sell your motorcycle yourself do you really know what you are getting into? The easy part is putting together an ad and placing it on CraigsList or any of the dozens of other online free classifieds. Then the fun starts:

  • If you are priced right you’ll get a lot of texts and you’ll have to make yourself available to show the bike.
  • You’ll get some interesting people visiting your home.
  • You will have lookieloos wasting your time and hagglers who can’t pay your price.
  • When you find a buyer you want cash or better yet, a money order or certified check.
  • You need to complete the paperwork required by the DMV.
  • You hope the buyer isn’t the type to come back to you with complaints about the bike.

There is an alternative that takes next to no time at all and sells your bike within a day.

In Dallas, and in other major cities across the country there is a company that specializes in buying used motorcycles and other vehicles. IQ Auto Buyers will give you a quote over the phone or online for your motorcycle.

If you like the price all you have to do is show up with the bike at the shop. A technician will look at it to confirm the condition that you listed and then pay you on the spot. Your biggest concern is having a ride to take you home. Sell your bike in one day without any of the hassle of selling it yourself!

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5 Easy Hacks to Make Driving Safer and Cheaper and Healthier

We’ve all seen drivers with bad habits right? There are the constant lane changers, the tailgaters, The guys who blow by so they can have the honor of being the first car at the next red light, Sunday drivers and all the rest. For those people, these hacks will be worthless.

Driving SaferHowever, if you consider yourself a “reasonable” driver these 5 tips can extend the life of your car, minimize your risk of an accident and even help cure a sore back all without any special training required. Read on to see what we mean:

  1. Lower Your Seat Lower Your Speed. If you drive an SUV or pickup truck and you find yourself coming up on the car in front of you faster than you thought or you have to brake harder than expected try lowering your seat. Studies show that the higher you sit in a vehicle, the slower you think you’re going. It’s not hard to understand. When you are sitting inches above the pavement in a Mazda MX 5 accelerating to 50 or 60 is an entirely different experience than the same acceleration in a full-size Toyota Tundra pickup. The closer you are to the street the greater the sensation of speed. Lowering your “tall ride” even a bit will give you a better feel for just how fast you’re going and reduce the wear on your brake pads.
  2. Drive in the Center Lane. Play the odds. Traffic studies show that the inside and outside lanes of a freeway or city boulevard have more accidents than the center lane. Not surprisingly, accidents in outside lanes are caused by speed while merging traffic is the biggest problem on inside lanes. Take yourself out of the game and drive where the odds are with you.
  3. Roll Up Your Windows. Everyone knows running your air decreases gas mileage right? That’s true when you are in town or in bumper to bumper traffic but not on the highway at speed. When the windows are rolled down they create more gas sucking drag. This isn’t an issue at slow speeds but when you hit the freeway it can have a significant effect on your fuel consumption. Roll up the windows and turn the AC on to “recycle mode” which is the most efficient setting.
  4. Shift to Neutral When You Stop. This one will take a bit of use before it becomes a habit but it’s worth it. When you stop at a light keep your foot on the brake and shift into neutral. Engaging neutral significantly reduces the amount of heat carried by your motor’s cooling system, reducing wear and tear on your engine. As an added bonus you will also improve your gas mileage.
  5. Get that Lump out of Your Back Pocket. If your daily commute is more than 15 to 20 minutes or if you are planning a road trip, pull that wallet out of your back pocket, put it in a side pocket or put it in the center console or glove box. Your wallet raises one hip higher than another essentially twisting your spine (however slight) which can cause pressure on the sciatic nerve and can strain your lower back. The thicker the wallet the bigger the problem.

That’s the hacks. Use them consistently and you’ll see an improvement in mpg and lessen the odds of an accident or ticket. For more tips like these visit our blog at IQ Auto Buyers.

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Your Older Car – Save it or Sell it?

If you have had your car for a while and the miles are piling up and you hear a new rattle and the steering is just a bit off, you may start thinking about selling it or trading it in on a new ride. But then you think aside from some cosmetic flaws and the mysterious new rattle your old car still gets you reliably to and from work. Maybe if you just put a few dollars into it to make sure it’s mechanically sound you won’t have to buy a new car. Continue reading “Your Older Car – Save it or Sell it?” »

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Learn How To Handle Flood Damaged Cars and Trucks

This Spring many parts of the country have been clobbered by freakishly heavy rains causing extensive flooding. It’s estimated that this year’s crop of flood damaged cars and trucks will exceed the number Super Storm Sandy caused back in 2012.
That’s a lot of flooded cars! Keep Reading