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Prepping your car for sale

(AOL Autos) — There probably aren’t half as many articles out there about selling your vehicle as there are ones on how to tell you to buy one. Many of us aren’t car salesman but all of us should know the basics of getting a car prepped for sale. When the time does come to make a vehicle switch, we should know a little bit about what we’re doing.

Here are five steps that should help get your car ready for sale and keep you focused on what attracts potential buyers.

Tip 1: Make it look good

This is an obvious one. The car needs to look good (inside and out) and it should even smell good, or at least not smell bad. Think of it this way: People are trying to visualize your car as their car. If you have a McDonald’s bag in the backseat, coffee stains on the dash and a bumper sticker that tells everyone who you voted for in 2004, a potential buyer will have a hard time changing gears from their car to my car.

Spending a little time cleaning up your car will make a good impression and can help you sell it that much faster.

Tip 2: Get all the paperwork together

This is one of the most important steps if you still owe money on the car. Make sure to contact the lien owner and find out the details of selling your car. If you owe a fair amount of money on the vehicle, find out if you’re upside down on your loan, meaning that you owe more on the loan than the car is worth. If that’s the case, paying off the loan and selling the car later may be your best bet.

If you own the car, selling it is going to be a whole lot smoother. Contact your state’s Department of Motor Vehicles or hop onto their Web site to find out exactly what you’ll need to switch everything over legally. Having the bill of sale and other proper documentation ready for potential buyers will show them you’re on top of things and will help make the sale go faster.

Tip 3: Prove you’ve maintained the vehicle

Sorting through maintenance records on your vehicle is not fun. But if you have documentation of major and minor repairs on the vehicle, you can prove two things to potential buyers: The vehicle they’re considering purchasing has been properly maintained, and documented maintenance usually means less money for repairs later. Show a potential buyer all the maintenance records when they come to look at the car, or at least let them know you have them if they want to see them.

If the car needs work and you’re selling it that way, get a quote from your mechanic and include that with the paperwork. This eliminates a guessing game between you and the buyer as to how much a repair is going to cost and how much the car is worth.

Along with routine maintenance records, make sure you’ve had any recall fixes taken care of before you try to sell the vehicle. Provide paperwork for these to ensure the buyer that they don’t need to worry about any recall-related problems.

Tip 4: Watch how you drive

If you’re selling the car yourself and not through a dealer, many people will put their car ads online or in a professional listing like Autotrader and maybe even put a For Sale sign in the window. If you’re advertising your car while you’re driving it around town you should be mindful of how you’re driving. If a potential buyer sees you cut someone off, drive erratically or simply drive to fast, they may be less likely to call. Buyers want to know you’ve taken care of the car they’re buying; letting your road rage show isn’t going to support that idea.

Tip 5: Be honest

One of the most important details of selling your car is to be open and honest with potential buyers. In the past, it was more difficult to determine how much a vehicle was worth, if had been in any accidents, etc. Now Joe Carbuyer can go online find out the value of his car (and get full a report on the car’s VIN number using CarFax).

Know what your car is worth as well and what you’re willing to sell it for. In some cases, the buyer may want to take the car to his mechanic to have it checked out. Don’t take this as an insult; most people don’t like making a big purchase without an expert opinion. If you’re not willing to let them have the vehicle checked out by a mechanic, the odds of you selling the car will drop dramatically.

Always remember to be patient with the selling process. If your price is reasonable, the right buyer will come along. Preparing your car for sale doesn’t have to be a frustrating process. Just clean up your car as best as you can, stay organized with the paperwork, and be honest with potential buyers. E-mail to a friend

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Bush calls children’s health insurance bill a ‘trick’

WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Bush on Wednesday again vowed to veto a renewed push to expand a popular children’s health care program, saying it would play a trick on Americans by moving the country closer to a federalized health system.

Bush vetoed a previous version of the legislation that congressional Democrats have deemed a top priority.

Halloween’s an appropriate day to talk about it because there’s a bill moving through Congress that’s disguised as a bill to help children, but I think it’s really a trick on the American people, the president told attendees of the Grocery Manufacturers Association/Food Products Association’s fall conference.

Bush was referring to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, the state-run, federally funded program that was set to expire September 30 but was extended at current levels until the passage of new legislation.

The president has criticized Congress, saying lawmakers are wasting time on revisions they know he will veto again.

Last week’s 265-142 vote in the House of Representatives was short of the two-thirds margin needed to override another Bush veto. The Senate could consider the revised bill as early as Tuesday.

If they keep passing this legislation, I will keep vetoing it, Bush vowed, saying the latest version is even more expensive than the first, which he vetoed October 3.

The current program covers about 6 million children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, the federal health insurance program for the poor, but who can’t afford private insurance.

The new version would expand the program by nearly $35 billion over five years — the same level as the previous bill, according to Democrats. They want to extend the program to another 4 million, paying for it with a 61-cent-per-pack increase in the federal tax on cigarettes.

I’m going to use my veto pen to prevent Congress from raising taxes, the president promised, saying his proposed budget increases SCHIP funding by 20 percent over five years.

On Tuesday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, accused the president of breaking a 2004 promise to expand the SCHIP program.

He also called Bush the biggest obstacle to extending health coverage to 10 million low-income, working-class American children.

Hoyer said GOP House leaders need to stop posing for pictures and sit down with Democrats and Republicans in Congress who are working together to extend coverage to our children.

Democratic leaders said the new legislation addresses Republican objections by tightening restrictions on illegal immigrants receiving SCHIP benefits, capping the income levels of families that qualify for the program and preventing adults from receiving benefits.

Bush said the SCHIP legislation shows that some in Congress believe expanding federal control is the key to improving health care.

Without mentioning Sen. Hillary Clinton by name, Bush cited the former first lady’s efforts in 1994 to overhaul health care, saying that Democrats who supported that legislation apparently have learned from the experience.

So instead of pushing to federalize health care all at once, they’re pushing for the same goal through a series of incremental steps, Bush said. With each step, they want to bring America closer to a nationalized system where the government dictates the medical care for every citizen.
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Source: Colbert to file for S.C. Democratic primary

COLUMBIA, South Carolina (CNN) — Funnyman Stephen Colbert’s presidential campaign is apparently no joke.

The host of Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report will file papers late Wednesday or early Thursday to put his name on South Carolina’s Democratic primary ballot, a source familiar with the comedian’s strategy said.

The South Carolina native will not file papers as a Republican because the $35,000 required to get on the GOP ballot is apparently too high a threshold.

They priced us out of range, the source told CNN.

The South Carolina Democratic Party demands a candidate pay $2,500 or garner 3,000 signatures to get on the ballot. Surrogates of The Colbert Report star will file the hand-signed papers at state party headquarters before the November 1 filing deadline.

But whether Colbert’s name will show up on the ballot remains unclear

The state party’s 26-member executive council — with representatives from each of South Carolina’s six congressional districts as well as state members of the Democratic National Committee — will meet Thursday afternoon to decide which candidates meet the criteria to appear on the ballot.

To make the cut, a candidate must demonstrate two requirements: that he or she is viable nationally and has spent time campaigning in the state.

Colbert made two campaign stops in South Carolina last weekend, speaking at a Rock the Vote event Saturday in Charleston and appearing Sunday in Columbia to receive a key to the city from Mayor Bob Coble. That event attracted about 1,000 people, mostly University of South Carolina students.

But Colbert’s national viability is what’s at issue before the executive council.

He does not appear to be campaigning to win if he is only running in one state, said Carol Khare Fowler, chairwoman of the state Democratic Party and a member of the executive council.

Another council member, Charleston County Democratic Party Chairman Waring Howe, was more blunt: Over my dead body will Colbert’s name be on the ballot.

Opponents such as Howe argue that Colbert makes a mockery of the political process. They also note that for each candidate on the Democratic ballot, the state party must pay $20,000 to the state election commission, a consideration that could blunt Colbert’s chances.

Colbert’s supporters on the executive council said that the comedian will bring new, younger voters into the party fold and that he will use his candidacy to promote South Carolina nightly on national television.

I think a lot of people think it’s a joke because it’s a comedy show and what not, but he’s a nice fellow, and if he gets on the ballot, he will come here to South Carolina and campaign across the state, said Charles Hamby, the second vice chairman of the state Democratic Party.

We know he won’t be president. He knows that. But it will bring a lot of people into the party, Hamby said.

On Sunday, Colbert had a private meeting with Joe Werner, executive director of the state Democratic Party, to discuss the implications of being on the ballot.

The source familiar with Colbert’s strategy said he will use his satirical candidacy to promote his home state, as he did during the recent speech in Columbia in which he extolled the virtues of Palmetto State peaches over Georgia’s.

Colbert is asking supporters to donate $100,000 to South Carolina schools at the Web site donorschoose.org, which already has raised $40,000.
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Halloween ‘Ugly Teeth’ recalled over high lead levels

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government announced an 11th-hour recall Wednesday to warn consumers that fake Halloween teeth sold by the tens of thousands since last year contain excessive amounts of lead.

The $2 packages of Ugly Teeth are only the latest in a long line of Chinese-made toys and novelty items recalled because of lead. The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall on Halloween, in a late-morning news release.

The agency estimates that since January 2006, retailers have sold about 43,000 eight-piece packages of the party favors. There were no immediate reports of injuries or illness.

Amscan Inc. of Elmsford, New York, imported the fake teeth. A message left with the company was not immediately returned.

The federal agency worked quickly with Amscan to announce the recall, commission spokesman Scott Wolfson. Wolfson refused to say when the commission learned of the potential risk, other than to say it took a matter of days to negotiate the recall.

CBS News reported Monday that a chemistry professor at Ohio’s Ashland University tipped off the agency about the joke teeth after testing a variety of Halloween-themed items for lead content. Paint on the teeth contained 100 times the allowable level of lead, according to the broadcast report.

Millions of Chinese-made toys have been recalled in recent months. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, this week urged the commission’s head, Nancy Nord, to resign.

Pelosi said Nord has failed to see the gravity of the situation and continues to oppose Democratic efforts to double her agency’s dollars and give it more authority. Nord said she has no intention of resigning.
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Ill Djokovic swept away by Santoro

PARIS, France — World number three Novak Djokovic crashed out of the Paris Masters after being trounced in his opening match by veteran Frenchman Fabrice Santoro on Wednesday.

The 34-year-old Santoro, who beat world No. 5 Andy Roddick at the Lyon Grand Prix last week, again rose to the occasion in front of his home fans as he stormed to a 6-3 6-2 second-round victory against the Serb.

It was the first time the two players had met, with Djokovic making his first outing since losing to David Nalbandian in the semifinals of the Madrid Masters two weeks ago.

Djokovic, like the American Roddick, has already qualified for the season-ending Masters Cup and will now have extra time to prepare for the event in Shanghai starting next month.

The 20-year-old said he was struggling following dental surgery to remove two wisdom teeth.

I couldn’t give my 100 percent, not even 30 percent of my possibilities, Djokobvic said.

He deserved to win. I’m still on medications. I didn’t practise for a whole week, I only started practising two days ago. Physically, I’m not feeling at all good.

The result is a boost for rising British star Andy Murray, who earlier kept alive his hopes of an unexpected place at the Masters Cup by winning his first match in Paris and was expected to face Djokovic.

The 20-year-old, who has missed three months this season due to a wrist injury, beat Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 to progress into the third round.

The 15th seed is seeking to overtake Tommy Haas, who holds the eighth and final place ahead of the showpiece event in Shanghai.

Murray, who trails the German by just three points, has not beaten Djokovic in three meetings so far but he has never played his unseeded next opponent Santoro.

Ninth seed Haas, who has struggled with illness and injury this year, will play Djokovic’s compatriot Janko Tipsarevic in the second round.

Murray, who won his second title this year at the St Petersburg Open last Sunday, made a confident start against Nieminen and showed little sign of the stiff back he suffered after a minor car crash on Monday.

He held his serve to love against a player who was beaten in the final of the Swiss Indoors event by world No. 1 Roger Federer last weekend, but then struggled for his best form as the first set went to a tiebreak.

The Scot was broken just one point after having a winner overturned following an on-court appeal, but he leveled immediately and then broke Nieminen again to win a third successive game before serving out for victory.

Fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko, one of six players to have already qualified for Shanghai, beat Argentina’s Juan Del Potro 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 in his opening match on Wednesday.

The Russian, fined for lack of effort after his defeat by Croatian qualifier Marian Cilic in St Petersburg, will next face either 13th seed Ivan Ljubicic or Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus in round three.

World numbet two Rafael Nadal also reached the third round after thrashing Italy’s Filippo Volandri 6-3 6-1.

The Spaniard will next play Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland, who won by the same scoreline against 16th seed Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina.
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