To play devil’s advocate, used car prices do not follow supply and demand. They follow perceived supply and demand by a conflict of interest. If you try to buy a used car, your salesman gives you info to push you to pay more. They have other lots to make it seem like there’s low supply.
Carvana and CarMax operate similarly.
And if you feel like knowledge is power, Manheim/Cox numbers don’t matter when you’re purchasing through a greedy middleman.
Totally, however, to play devil’s advocate of that… There is only so much inventory that these companies can hold. It’s similar situation to house price crashes. Banks are left with too much stock.
However, with property, banks can rent them out… Maybe we will see a huge industry of second hand rent-from-large-corporation-and-never-own-anythings popping up soon…
Banks have gotten high on their own power. They realize they can compete in residential real estate and starve out the market by artificially decreasing supply and hiking prices. They know the US loves circle jerking (American) auto makers, and will funnel tax money to make them survive.
Banks will want in on the action and will back automakers to follow suit, cut supply/artificially decrease it, and increase prices (more than they are).
In that scenario 1 of 2 things happens, 1) we pay more cash for cars that are necessary for American life 2) we lease/finance ridiculous prices and the bank makes even more profit.
It’s win win for them to support auto industry and supply them with the real estate they’re holding on the side lines.
To play devil’s advocate, used car prices do not follow supply and demand. They follow perceived supply and demand by a conflict of interest. If you try to buy a used car, your salesman gives you info to push you to pay more. They have other lots to make it seem like there’s low supply.
Carvana and CarMax operate similarly.
And if you feel like knowledge is power, Manheim/Cox numbers don’t matter when you’re purchasing through a greedy middleman.
Totally, however, to play devil’s advocate of that… There is only so much inventory that these companies can hold. It’s similar situation to house price crashes. Banks are left with too much stock.
However, with property, banks can rent them out… Maybe we will see a huge industry of second hand rent-from-large-corporation-and-never-own-anythings popping up soon…
Conspiracy hat on.
Banks have gotten high on their own power. They realize they can compete in residential real estate and starve out the market by artificially decreasing supply and hiking prices. They know the US loves circle jerking (American) auto makers, and will funnel tax money to make them survive.
Banks will want in on the action and will back automakers to follow suit, cut supply/artificially decrease it, and increase prices (more than they are).
In that scenario 1 of 2 things happens, 1) we pay more cash for cars that are necessary for American life 2) we lease/finance ridiculous prices and the bank makes even more profit.
It’s win win for them to support auto industry and supply them with the real estate they’re holding on the side lines.