Research & guides
Straight answers for buying and selling in Metro Detroit — no jargon, no sales pitch.
Buying a used car in Michigan: title, plates and taxes, in plain English
What actually happens at the Secretary of State, what the seller must hand you, and the three mistakes that turn a good deal into a headache.
6 min read →
The Michigan rust check: inspecting a used car that's survived the salt
Every Michigan car has met road salt. Here's how to tell cosmetic rust from the kind that should end the deal — in ten minutes, with a flashlight.
5 min read →
How to sell a car privately in Michigan: the seller's checklist
The title, the lien, your plate, the record of sale, insurance and getting paid: what a Michigan private seller has to do before the keys change hands.
5 min read →
Does Michigan require a vehicle inspection or emissions test?
Michigan has no safety inspection and no emissions test for passenger cars, so the checking is on you. What to look at, and when to pay a shop.
5 min read →
Buying a used car from a private seller vs a dealer in Michigan
Price, paperwork, the trade-in tax credit, financing, as-is and recourse: an even-handed look at both sides of a Michigan used-car deal.
5 min read →
Buying a used car in Michigan with rough credit — what actually works
No magic, no 'guaranteed approval' — just the moves that genuinely improve your odds, from someone who watches these deals happen every week.
6 min read →
Finding a solid used car under $10,000 in Detroit
Cash cars are alive and well in Metro Detroit — here's how to shop the under-$10k board without inheriting someone else's problem.
6 min read →
Michigan lemon law and used cars: what "as-is" really means
The Lemon Law is for new cars, private sales are as-is, and a written warranty changes everything. What a Michigan used-car buyer really has.
5 min read →
Cómo comprar un auto usado en Michigan: guía práctica en español
El título, los impuestos, la inspección del óxido y cómo tratar con el vendedor — todo lo que necesita saber para comprar con confianza en Metro Detroit.
6 min read →
Michigan sales tax on a used car: dealer, private sale, or out of state
Who collects Michigan's 6% tax on a used car, what it's charged on, how the dealer trade-in credit works, and what to ask for before you sign.
5 min read →
Michigan title transfer after a private sale: what to bring to the Secretary of State
What the buyer and the seller each do at the Michigan Secretary of State after a private car sale, what to bring, and the slips that cost a second trip.
5 min read →
How to buy a used car in Michigan, start to finish
Budget, find, vet, deal, paperwork — the whole road in one page, written for Metro Detroit.
6 min read →
Used-car financing, explained like a person
APR, term, down payment, credit tiers — what actually moves your monthly payment.
5 min read →
The test-drive checklist
Fifteen minutes, no tools, and most problem cars tell on themselves.
4 min read →
Trade it in, or sell it yourself?
The honest math between convenience and top dollar — and Michigan's trade-in tax angle.
4 min read →
How texting a dealer works (and why it beats phone tag)
What happens when you text about a car, what the rules are, and how to stay in control.
3 min read →