Budget beyond the ask price
The purchase price is the down payment on a hobby. Before you shop, line up: annual inspection ($2,500–5,000 typical for a piston single), hangar or tie-down, insurance (varies hugely with hours-in-type), and an engine reserve. The ownership cost breakdown puts real numbers on five common profiles — start there.
The pre-buy inspection is not optional
Find an A&P with experience in the model (our services directory shows shops near the listing) and pay for a real pre-buy before money moves. Expect $800–2,000 and treat any engine corrosion finding as a negotiation, not a deal-breaker.
Paperwork kills more deals than corrosion
Check: complete logs (zero missing years), no undocumented major repairs, current A.D. compliance list, clear title (the FAA registry card on each listing shows the registrant and expiration). Escrow the deposit — ClearProp's Deal Room includes an escrow ledger for exactly this.
Negotiate on data, not hope
Each listing shows a same-family asking-price comparison in the Deal Room. Offers that quote the comps get taken seriously; offers that quote hope do not.