We purchased a car!  Finally!  I have been very frustrated by a car search that has taken much longer than I anticipated.  However, in all reality it has only been a little over a week.  My wife and I are the owners of a 2000 Nissan XTerra.  Here is a side view.  I may post a few more later for the interested parties.

What I learned from this deal:

1. Research pays off.  Use NADA, Kelley Blue Book, Consumer Reports and check the vehicles history on Car Fax or Auto Check.
2. You have to use the research.  I had copies of the information supporting my initial offer that was $2,400 lower than the initial asking price.  
3. Don’t be afraid to make an initial lower offer.  My initial offer may have seemed very low but I supported the offer with my assessment of the vehicle condition and my research information.  Additionally, negotiating an offer often entails setting a lower floor in order to reach your desired price.

What I would do next time:

1. Research trade-in value to use as additional information.
2. Set more realistic expectations.  I initially wanted more car than what I could reasonably get for the amount of money I had to spend.  I’m certain that had I waited long enough I would have been able to find something.  However, for where I’m at, I didn’t have the time to burn due to other things I’m working on.
3. Be more patient.

Those are the highlights.  We came up about a grand above our initial offer and the seller was willing to come down approximately 1400 which put us ever so slightly above the KBB good value.  All in all, I’m satisfied with the deal.  The seller also happened to be an independent insurance agent, so we switched our auto insurance.  Amazingly enough our insurance rates only went up by $100 dollars every six months.  I’m amazed because the extra premium covers two vehicles rather than the one that was covered prior to today.