Gary Eskew

Make no mistake, boat buying is a big commitment.  It’s a huge decision, and many people agonize over every detail involved.  Finding exactly the right boat dealer is just as important as finding exactly the right boat.  The last thing you need is an out of town dealer that is not available to you when you need them most, like when your boat needs service or you have questions. 

Boat buying locally makes a huge difference—when the dealer is a part of your community, they have a bigger investment in their reputation and standing behind their products and services.  You will hear horror stories from boat owners about bad experiences.  You will also hear stories about great dealers to work with.  Service after the sale is still important, and should be taken into consideration.  Out of town sometimes translates into, “out of sight, out of mind,” when you need something from your dealer.

Buying the perfect boat is about more than just getting the best deal and getting out on the water.  It’s an investment, and you need to have the right boat for you and the best experience possible with your dealer.  There are no refunds when you buy a boat, and a bad experience can often lead to buyer’s remorse—not a place anyone wants to be after spending that kind of money.  You would rather be spending your time on Grand Lake, relaxing on your new boat.

Buying locally can assure you of prompt friendly service.  Most service departments are very busy, and cater to their own customers first.  If you have purchased your boat from some out of town dealer that can’t provide service, then you may find yourself waiting longer than usual to get service locally.  Every day that your boat is in the shop is another day that you are not able to enjoy it.

Even when you already know you are buying locally, there are probably several boat dealers to choose from, often depending on the brand of boat you are considering.  Making the right choice is critical.  Be sure to buy a boat from a dealership that offers reliability, service, integrity, and knowledge.  Look for the dealership that’s clean and well-kept, with well-dressed and well-groomed employees that know what they are talking about.  Reputation matters in the sales business, so make sure you ask around and find out about other people’s experiences.  Anyone who has purchased a boat will have an opinion about the dealership they worked with—don’t go somewhere that does not come highly recommended.

Boat buying from the right dealer will mean that you end up feeling like you were properly helped, not “sold” something you didn’t want or need.  There should be no pressure, just helpful support and information. 

Making a major decision like buying a boat can be an overwhelming and draining experience.  The payoff is being able to enjoy your boat!  You can rest easy when you buy locally; if you need something from your dealer after the sale, they should be right where you need them just waiting to help.

For years, Formula Boats has been the leader for low-rate boat loan financing.  The latest financing incentive that they are offering provides customers with the opportunity to get even more boat for less money.  The Formula Escape Financing Program offers customers the first 30 months of their loan interest free.  Yes, interest free. And, at Arrowhead Boat Sales, when we say 0%, that means absolutely no interest.  Not a penny extra!

How can this possibly work?  Well, it’s a creative way for consumers to get as much boat as possible for their money.  If all of the money spent goes toward the boat, and not toward interest, you can get a bigger, better boat for the same price.

With the typical boat loan having a 20-year term, but the average boat owner keeping a boat for only five years, those folks that are interested in continually upgrading their boats will find this program almost like cheating the system; you’re only paying principal on your loan.

After getting the first 30 months of the loan interest-free, the interest rate does finally kick in, but it’s still only at a rate of 6.99%–which is still not too bad.  The payments adjust to reflect the difference.  This is the only adjustment that will be made in the payment amount over the life of the loan.  At this point, maybe it’s time to start thinking about your next upgrade, if there’s no interest, then there’s nothing to lose!  Even if you keep your boat for the average five-year span, you will still be paying very little interest overall and have more equity in your boat.

This type of financing should not be considered to be a variable loan rate, just a financing incentive program offered by Formula to help customers get the most boat for their buck.  You really can’t go wrong with this financing deal, since every dime that you pay for the first 30 months goes directly to paying off the principal of the loan.  This increases your equity in the boat rapidly.  Think about how much this affects your resale or trade-in value; you’ve put your own money right into your boat, and not in the pockets of the financing company.  After 30 months, you would have paid off a whole lot more of your loan than if you were paying interest.  Nearly half of your payments would be applied to interest—money lost.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “You get what you pay for.”  Well, in this case, you really do get what you pay for—you actually get more boat for your money with the Formula Escape Finance Program.  Pay for the boat, and just the boat—don’t just send your interest to the bank each month.  Get the best boat that you can afford, without worrying how much your payment will increase because of interest.  It’s almost like getting more than you pay for!  Check out your options for creative boat financing, and make sure you check out the Formula Escape Financing Progam.