Your thoughts on Toyota Sequoia's

[Amkeer]

The Toyota is a nice, quiet ride. The 4-Runner may be all you need. The Sequoia will give you a little more room. In any event you are making a smart decision. Be careful with a budget since you can make more money flipping burgers than what you will make the first few years selling RE.

In the end the people will be more concerned what comes out of your 2 lips than what you drive.

 

[JHZR2]

Sorry, I disagree... Granted Im looking in NJ, but I AM in the market for a home as I type this.

The realtor who has some big showy vehicle, whether its an SUV, etc. looks to me as being too unreasonable... They dont care about the economy of things. Im using a realtor to ge tme the best deal possible - driving a guzzler car does not appear to me to be the best deal possible. What they drive extends to how they think... I need someone that thinks alike.

I relate a realtor driving a reasonable car, like a minivan or standard sedan as reasonable. I let their credentials: knowledge about the local area, about the construction of homes in various areas, tax rates, prior sales, etc., etc. answer themselves to the fact that Im willing to give them my time. Most realtors are ripoffs anyway... the fact that "earners" and "producers" are the key terms indicates to me that there is less than primary interest in creating value for the client... the #1 objexctive is for a buyers and sellers agent to get the highest price they possibly can get the buyer to be willing to pay, so they maximize their commissions. Im looking for a better deal - no wonder why so many new entities are coming up to do real estate...

The most professional person in the world might just drive around in a Toyota Corolla... is there an issue?

Granted, Im not in TX, and it certainly is a different outlook down there... Somehow $3 gas does not effect them like it does elsewhere... So Islandvic's vehicle choice needs to be different, I suppose.

JMH

[ January 29, 2006, 11:14 AM: Message edited by: JHZR2 ]

 

[thooks]

I agree with JHZ. Show me a realtor (or any salesman for that matter) that has the ability to discount the "show off" bling and other attributes of "Doc-itis" and keeping up with the Joneses and I'll show you a very reasonable person.

BTW, the real estate boom ain't over like they say. There's one more big Boooooom ahead.

These Interest-only mortgages, doubled up minimum payments on credit cards and contiuing of jobs moving elsewhere is going to catch up to the last 5 years of unreal real estate prices.

If I have to put my place up for sale, I don't care who sells it. That will be the least of my worries. 'Sides...I had a house jockey come and give me an appraisal. He impressed me about like all the others. He was looking for features that look good from 10 feet and couldn't realize the everyday creature comforts I have built into my home.

 

[Pablo]

I could give a rip what car you want to drive, and I think it's pretty weird that people suggest a car for you based on their world view. Nothing wrong with alternatives, nothing wrong with feedback, though!

I don't have a "Realtor", nor do most folks. IMHO, most folks think of Realtors as a necessary, overpriced evil (nothing personal) - just my world view! I could care less for what car they drive as long as it gets there and if you have to ride with them, it doesn't get your clothes dirty. If the person is driving a way too expensive car, this is a HUGE turn off for me. Again, IMHO.

As for the Sequoia - they are OK Toyota. They are HUGE. I was considering one, but the Ody is doing fine. I didn't encounter anything supernegative other than the price and size and MPG about the Sequoia.

 

[JHZR2]

Pablo - I guess in reality I feel the same way... though after having some gung-ho realtors trying to convince me that I could afford more than I would comfortably want to pay, I have gotten turned off to most realtors' outlook - Ive found a correlation of their outlook to their vehicle! AS wrong as it might be in reality. The best realtors Ive dealt witrh so far have driven an accord and a dodge caravan - Not the euro luxury car or fancy SUV.

JMH

 

[rjundi]

On the image thing. My realtor, a friend of mum she met through a sale of my mom's home 10 years ago typically only does the sale of high end(not mine though). She drives a nicely detailed plebian recent Honda Accord and has driven Accord's for the last 20 years. She is sought after for her contacts and knowledge of the area in the last 50 years, not her car.

But buy what you are comfortable in, the big Toyota is a very nice and comfortable vehicle.

 

[thooks]

quote:

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I still don't understand how a Sequoia or a Tahoe LT is considered excessive or "show off".

---

IMO, they aren't.


YOU are the one that said YOU have to "show off".


FWIW, Texas ain't any different from suburban/rural Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia or Phoenix, AZ.

Plenty of Suburbans, Z71's, Tahoes, Sequoias, Escalades, Lexus SUVs, and jacked up 3/4 ton 4x4's.

 

[LarryL]

The reaction people have to the car you drive can sometimes be fun. A friend is a dentist and told me a new patient in his chair said he left his last dentist because the guy drive a Mercedes and he did not want to feel like he was helping to make expensive car payments. My friend had a good laugh. He drives a Porsche that costs a lot more than the other dentist's Mercedes. And, yes, the fees paid to the dentist, help to make car payments.

 

[Islandvic]

I filled up with gas yesterday for $2.08/gallon.

I show my professionalism through my education, market knowledge, courtesy, doing what I say and saying what I mean, never B.S.'ing, admitting when I do not know something and finding out the RIGHT answer and treating every with the same level of customer service as I give my personal friends and family when they do business with me.

Texas is the land of large trucks and SUV's. Very different from the rest of the country. These types of vehicles are "reasonable" here. Texas has huge parking lots, gas is cheap, few have to park on streets, roads are wide, lots and lots of space.

I still don't understand how a Sequoia or a Tahoe LT is considered excessive or "show off". They are so common they out number Civic's, Camry's, and Accords by a long shot where I live. They are 'bread and butter' here.

I agree that some Realtor's are "used car salesmen" and are profit driven. But every profession has bad apples (teachers, doctors, politicaians, policemen etc etc).

I am driven by wanting to create lasting business relationships. That is the key to long term success. I always tell clients to NOT USE all of the available credit a lender extends to them for a home purchase!

I do not think those who live outside of Texas realize that everyone here drives large trucks and large SUV's. I'm not keeping up with the Jones' but I have ALWAYS like large vehicles. That's why I LOVE Crown Vic's and GMarq's!

I love RWD, V-8 power, and big vehicles!

 

[thooks]

That's fine and dandy, Larry. Until that dentist (or doctor, lawyer, RE Salesman, drug rep) starts talking about how they were told by their accountant "that they need to spend some money"...blah, blah, blah.

Make all the money you want. Spend it as stupidly as you want. Just don't throw it in my face when I'm giving it to you.

 

[joatmon]

Well, Islandvic just asked for experiences with the Sequoia. We've questioned his profession and his motivation for the possible purchase of a large SUV, while trying to convince him that our own personal choise of small SUV or sedan would be better for his situation.

On point, I own a Suburban and chose it over the Sequoia. To do it over, I would buy a new Sequoia, or a used Suburban. Sequoia's seem to really hold resale value. I think the Tahoe/Sububan get slighly better fuel mileage that the Sequoia and appear a little peppier to me. If required, the 3rd seat in the Suburban is superior to the Tahoe or Sequoia.

Good luck with your decision and *** bless America, the land of Liberty.

Jack

 

[jmacmaster]

Islandvic said:

"Texas is the land of large trucks and SUV's. Very different from the rest of the country. . . I do not think those who live outside of Texas realize that everyone here drives large trucks and large SUV's. I'm not keeping up with the Jones' but I have ALWAYS liked large vehicles. That's why I LOVE Crown Vic's and GMarq's! . . .
I love RWD, V-8 power, and big vehicles!"

Texas and the average Texan ARE different. Big vehicles are extremely common and much preferred in Texas. Anybody who knows Texas and Texans knows that. Its just the way they are. Its part of the "everything's big in Texas" mystique. Here's a quote from a May, 2005, news article:

"For years, Texas has been one of the country's strongest markets for large pickups and SUVs. According to R. L. Polk & Co., 57 percent of new-car registrations in Texas last year were pickups and SUVs, 10 percentage points higher than in the nation overall. The huge Chevy Suburban SUV had been considered by many residents to be the "National Car of Texas" years before sales took off in other parts of the country."

Different parts of the country DO have differing attitudes regarding motor vehicles. For example, consider the attitude of the typical resident of NYC or San Franscisco toward pickups and SUV's. Among a huge number of people in those cities its the thing to do to put them down.

 

[brianl703]

I bet Lexus sells lots of "SUVs" in NYC and San Francisco.

 

[1sttruck]

"Big vehicles are extremely common and much preferred in Texas."

While camping in the Redwoods I struck up a conversation with someone from Canada who had a Dodge truck very similar to mine. After comparing notes for awhile he asked 'Doesn't anyone around here own pickups ? Almost everyone where I come from has one.' I explained that outside of the bigger cities one sees more, and in states besides California too. As I recall from living in Oklahoma when I was younger, a 'cowboy Cadillac' was fully optioned long bed dually, maybe with a fancy hood ornament, paint job, etc.

 

[JAYCEE]

Texas is like a whole nother country. People ride horses through the drive-thru here where I live.

If it takes a Sequoia to get the job done, buy it.

 

[Islandvic]

I have decided against a large SUV for now.

I predict gas this summer to go over $3 again.

Toyota needs to make it's hybrid systems actually work on their larger vehicles.

 

[thooks]

But everybody in Texas drives a big, gas-guzzling truck, don't they?

 

[Islandvic]

I decided the vehicles I own now are doing fine for my needs.

No need to get into more car payments.

 

[ekpolk]

I'm sorry I missed this thread before. Here I discover it at it's natural end point. . . FWIW, in case you wake up tomorrow and have a change of heart: we've owned an early 01 Sequoia since about this time, five years ago. We love it, and it's without question one of, if not the, best vehicle we've ever owned. It may sound strange, but even though it's past the point when most folks trade, I still feel like I'm getting into a new vehicle when I get in it (which is not often, its' my wife's). For starters, we only put 10k per year on it, so the "fuel penalty" isn't much of a factor for us, at any rate, it specs "cheaper" 87 octane, and is totally happy on regular. Unlike some 87 cars I've had, this one has zero tendency to ping -- none at all. It's engine is without doubt the smoothest I've owned. The iron block, aluminum head 4.7L V-8 is a direct off-shoot of the original all AL Lexus 4.0L V-8, and that heritage shines right through. Sometimes it's fun to turn off the stereo and just listen to the engine. We have the 4-spd auto, unique to early Trees. I'd really like the extra cog found in newer models, but the 4-spd takes plain Dex-III fluid unlike the newer 5-spd auto which requires expensive, special Toyota ATF. It handles well within the confines of what most would call "well" esp for an SUV. It is very, very comfortable on long trips. The only "repair" we've had is a post-wty redo of the parking brake; front brakes have not been an issue for us at all. This vehicle gets a solid "A" grade. I'd give it an A+ if it could break 20 mph hwy (19 is the most we've seen, usually 14-ish city, 18-ish hwy). Oh yeah, and then there is the continual stream of near-perfect used oil analysis that the 2UZ V-8 keeps generating...

 

[Amkeer]

I would by one. I love the looks especially with the sport edition.

Island at least you were honest unlike some others that post. You need to remain lean and mean if you are getting into RE sales. Hot markets like we just went through bring out tons of housewives and wannabees into the RE profession with dreams of getting rich quick. Fortunately that does not happen and they drop out quick when they find that they can make more working at Mcdonalds. The order takers that have had cream money delivered to them the past few years will quickly fade too as the market changes.