If you try and you are lucky you will find a good quality vehicle without having to go through the trauma of going to a dealer to do it. Of course the car dealers will tell you exactly the opposite and warn you against buying from a friend or neighbor. I was in the business for over 15 years and I can tell you that you can get a good deal from an individual.

One of the best sources to find a good used car is from people you know. If you have friends and neighbors who trade vehicles often you may find a source there. Many people trade very two to three years. If you know the people well and know that they take good care of their vehicles wouldn't you be better off to buy straight from them? It can be an easy process if you follow a couple of guidelines. Offer to go with them to a few dealerships to shop their vehicle.

Offer them a profit above the best offer they get. What could be simpler than that? It is a win-win situation for everyone. Your friend gets better than wholesale and you get a good deal on a car that you know won't be a disaster plus you won't have anywhere near the paperwork you would from buying at a dealer! Another good source is from bulletins boards at work.

Many employers have bulletin boards that you can post on for buying and selling vehicles. You have a good chance of finding a good deal here so keep your eyes open. One thing to watch out for is that many times these people will owe more on their car than it is worth. The next good source is from newspaper ads and papers like the "Shopper", "Thrifty Nickel", and "Auto Trader". Even though it will take longer to call every ad and go out and personally inspect the vehicles you are interested in you stand a good chance of being able to find a good deal on a great vehicle.

Just be aware that not all of the ads you see will be from individuals. Car dealers advertise in those as well. Some newspapers require dealers to identify themselves but many do not. Large used car specialty dealers such as Auto Nation and Car Max are another place you can find a good used car but you are going to pay for the convenience. Bear these things in mind when buying from one of these places: The majority of their cars are going to be rental cars and lease returns.

What this means is that it will be virtually impossible to talk with the previous owners and that means you definitely want to have the car inspected by a mechanic. Even though you may not experience a great deal of sales pressure at these large stores they will give you some subtle pressure to finance with them and buy add-ons that you don't need, resist them. Many of these dealers will offer money back guarantees for a limited amount of time. These warranties are not offered on all cars and you need to be careful of what is actually included in the money back guarantee.

Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. For quality car care products go to http://www.carcarewizards.com