The North American International Auto Show opens to the public on Jan. 19 in Detroit, showcasing luxury sedans, shiny sports cars, and roomy SUVs that rival some of the city's single-family homes in price.

But while there's nothing like being the first to nestle in a new car's supple leather seats and inhale that fresh-from-the-assembly-line perfume, it's an expensive romance.

Online Shopping Soars, New-Car Values Drop

If the idea of saving thousands of dollars is more thrilling to you than that new-car smell, you'll find your heart's desire in the used car market. A wider pool of quality used cars, and progress in Internet search functionality, have vastly changed the buying experience.

In 2007, roughly one in four buyers of late-model used vehicles relied on an Internet vehicle locator or online classified ad service to find the auto they purchased. That's a 44 percent jump over the previous year, according to a study by J.D. Power and Associates.

And there's no beating the price. "People don't think of depreciation as an out-of-pocket cost, but it is," says Philip Reed, senior consumer advice editor at Edmunds.com and author of "Strategies for Smart Car Buyers." "There's a steep drop off in [value] in the first year, and 30 percent depreciation by the end of the third year."

For example, Edmunds looked at the Lexus GS 430 and GS 450. "The first-year depreciation on the new car is $14,000; if you bought a two-year-old model, the depreciation is $3,000 in the first year of ownership," says Reed.

Know What You're Looking For

Before you begin your search, get the Kelley Blue Book value on the make, model, and year of the car you're considering. Edmunds offers two appraisal tools: the True Market Value guide and the True Cost to Own calculator, which considers ownership costs like maintenance, repairs, depreciation, and fuel.

If you don't have a specific vehicle in mind, the $10 "Consumer Reports Used Car Buying Guide 2008," which comes out on Jan. 22, is a good place to start. Quality is widespread, experts say, so look beyond the popular brand names. "I worked as a mechanic 30 years ago, and it wasn't unusual to overhaul the engine at 75,000 to 80,000 miles," says John Paul, AAA's southern New England "car doctor." "They don't make them like they used to -- and that's a good thing. The line between best and worst is pretty thin these days." (See my blog for specific model recommendations.)

Also get a one-month subscription to CARFAX, the oldest of several services that offer reports on a vehicle's history through its vehicle identification number (VIN). The report tells you how many owners the vehicle has had, when it was serviced, and whether there was an odometer rollback or a salvage report -- indicating that the car was stolen, in a serious accident, or flooded.

"The VIN can also let you know any outstanding recalls that need to be taken care of," says Paul, "Thirty to forty percent of recalls announced never actually get fulfilled."

Do Your Research

Next, head to the Internet. The sheer volume of listings, ease of use, ability to refine a search, and forums with advice from other buyers has mushroomed in recent years. Some 72 percent of Internet shoppers in 2007 visited consumer forums to get opinions from real car buyers, and 94 percent found it helpful, according to the J.D. Power and Associates study.

If you're someone who worries about buying a lemon, go to the individual automaker's home page and click on "certified pre-owned vehicles." These models are usually no more than five years old, and undergo an inspection based on the manufacturer's certification standards. Most important, you get a warranty. (Be sure to get the real deal from the manufacturer, rather than an extended service contract issued by a third party.)

All that reassurance can be costly, though. "You don't get the bargains in certified shopping, because they try to turn used-car buying into a new-car experience," says Reed. "You don't need a mechanical inspection of a vehicle, and they give you a guarantee. That makes it simple, but you will pay extra."

Online Bargains Abound

CarMax.com is another fast-growing seller that offers warranty protection. (Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway bought a 6 percent stake in the company last November.) CarMax operates 86 used car stores in 39 U.S. markets, where it buys, reconditions, and resells vehicles. You can search its entire network through the web site and have the car shipped to you for a fee. The company touts its no-haggle pricing and five-day money-back guarantee. (Even with a warranty, it may be worthwhile to pay an extra $100 or so to have a vehicle inspected by an independent mechanic.)

Then there are the online auto classified ad sites, offering vehicles from both dealers and private sellers. You can search by make, model, year, price, mileage, location, and more than a dozen specific features, from engine to upholstery. The biggest players include AutoTrader.com, with 3 million cars for sale; Cars.com; and eBay Motors, which had $18 billion in sales last year.

According to Reed, "eBay is a very active source, and it's my estimation that [non-specialty] cars sell at wholesale prices on eBay" He adds, "There's quite a bit of flexibility to search for local cars, and work with a seller in terms of inspecting it beforehand. People are also buying cars and having them shipped without a whole lot of fuss. There are usually provisions if [the vehicle] doesn't live up to the description." (See my blog for buying tips.)

Better Safe Than Sorry

As for safety, experts say most late-model used cars offer the critical features. First, examine the crash test data from both the government and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Then put these top safety features on your shopping list:

• Airbags: Frontal airbags have been required since 1998 in passenger cars and 1999 in SUVs and trucks, but side- and rear-impact air bags are still optional, and may be difficult to find in used cars, says Reed.

• Antilock brake systems (ABS): When you slam on your brakes in a panic, you often lose steering ability. "If the wheels aren't turning, you're on a platform skidding forward," says Reed. "With ABS, you can continue to steer -- it's a huge development in safety." ABS can be found on two-thirds of new cars.

• Electronic Stability Control (ESC): This feature allows the car to sense when the wheels are losing traction on a turn, and independently brakes the wheels to keep you in the direction you need to go without rolling over. It's estimated to save between 5,000 and 10,000 lives a year. ESC was standard in half of new cars last year, and the government is requiring it in almost all vehicles by 2012.

•Tire pressure systems: "It's appalling how little attention people pay to the pressure in tires," says Reed, adding that these systems will become mandatory in new vehicles in 2008. "You begin to compromise safety at 5 percent below recommended pressure, fuel economy is compromised immediately, and the tire wear is increased."

What you won't find in the used market are the features like airbags for the legs and knees, lane departure warning systems, and rear back-up cameras, with a screen to show what's behind the vehicle when you put it in reverse. "There are going to be tradeoffs when you buy used," says Reed, "but you can find everything you need. And far and away the most important safety factor is the driver."

The foreclosure market continues to boom as no relief appears in sight for stretched subprime mortgage holders. As the economy shows more signs of a slowdown, this trend is likely to continue.

Although the real estate industry would prefer otherwise, foreclosures continue to make headlines. The latest data showed superficial relief, with September foreclosures down 8% from some 243,000 in August, but still more than double last year -- and still with more to come.

It may be a harsh analogy, but I often think of foreclosure buyers as the forest-floor ants consuming the dead wood to clean the forest.

That means three things. First, as I see it, the sooner we get through this credit mess, the better. Second, the faster properties get through the foreclosure process and find buyers, the sooner we'll get through the mess. So third, foreclosure buyers clean out the dead wood (I like) and get great bargains in the process (I also like).

I can save how much?
My recent column broadly covers the discount you can expect from market value if you buy a foreclosure. It varies by region, but using information published by real estate portal and foreclosure specialists RealtyTrac, I saw discounts ranging from 15% in Hawaii to 40% in Alabama, with 20% and 25% being a rule of thumb.

Not bad. So then the next question, incidentally raised by several readers, is "how do I find those bargains in my area?"

Finding the for sale signs
To locate specific foreclosures in your area, RealtyTrac is a good place to start. The site lists foreclosures by ZIP code and foreclosure stage, ranging from preforeclosure property to bank-owned real estate. It's a broad and fairly deep picture of foreclosure availability in your area.

Some have found RealtyTrac less than precise, as the task of keeping up with foreclosure listing activity across the company is large, to say the least. And to get specific information on the property, RealtyTrac requires a $49.95/month subscription after a seven-day free trial.

But realize that RealtyTrac sits behind other real estate sites, so sooner or later you'll probably run into RealtyTrac. If you're serious about foreclosure shopping, you might want to sign up.

Combining sources
If you aren't ready to make the financial commitment or "come out of the closet" as a registered foreclosure buyer, there are several other paths which work surprisingly well:

Bank sales. To their chagrin, banks and financial institutions are going into the real estate business in a big way. Too bad for them, but you can find a lot of bargains on their Web sites: Bank of America, Countrywide and U. S. Bank have good listings, to name a few. Countrywide, for example, has 300 listings in California alone priced under $170,000.

Agency sales. Banks sell their "REO" (Real Estate Owned) but often hire agencies to do the job. Such agencies include Keystone Asset Management, Lenders Asset Management Corporation and HomeEq Servicing. Some of these agencies may operate bank sites, so you may see a similarity.

Government and government-backed lender sales. Government agencies ranging from FHA and VA to HUD and the Department of Justice sell real estate, visible through a single portal. And government-backed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also operate sites. The variety of properties available is, shall we say, wide, but Fannie Mae in particular lists a lot of solid mainstream real estate values.

Auctions and auction houses. Local and regional auctions are becoming bigger as banks and others pile up inventory. A real estate auction specialist will announce an auction of dozens, maybe hundreds of properties in a large region or metro area. Auctioneers include Real Estate Disposal Corporation (REDC) and Williams & Williams. Experience helps in playing this game, although the auctioneer sites walk you through the process.

Local real estate specialists. A lot of agents know about action in a particular area and can hook you up with the sellers. Good agents have their eyes and ears to the ground at all times, and get tips and hear about stuff coming on the market. You can often Google "foreclosures (area)" to get local listings.

Don't forget: reward comes with risk
Remember that, while foreclosure properties often sell at a healthy discount, you may run into poorly maintained properties. There may be other foreclosures in the immediate area, hurting the quality and value of your investment. Double check other adjacent listings and visit the area if you can.

Remember: Good value investors buy assets at the right time in the right place at the right price. Real estate is no different.

These two companies currently offer the same video rental service. However like many people I am sure you want to know which one offers the best deal. In this post I will touch base about each company and then compare the two. Lastly I will give you my opinion of the two services and let you decide.

Netflix
Netflix offers you a free trail service when you sign up for two weeks. From my experience the movies come very quickly, usually within three days.

If you like the service, do nothing and the subscription will continue. To do my comparison I will match apples for apples. Sure you can download a Netflix movie to your computer but who really does that at this point? Netflix most common service is 3 movie rentals for 19.99 a month. You can add as many movies as you like to your watch list and choose which movies you want and when. Each time you send a movie back you get another replaced.

Blockbuster
Blockbuster also offers you a free trail service when you sign up for two weeks. From my experience the movies come very quickly usually within three days.

If you like the service, do nothing and the subscription will continue. Blockbuster does not offer movie downloads? In addition, you can add as many movies as you like to your watch list and choose which movies you want and when. Each time you send a movie back you get another replaced. They too offer 3 movie rentals but give you a choice of total access which allows you take the movie back to the store when done and blockbuster by mail. Both choices are currently cheaper then Netflix.

My Opinion
My biggest complaint with Netflix was most of the movies I received were damaged and would not play in my DVD player. Netflix was always nice and gave me credits but after while that just isn’t enough. At least with Blockbuster you can take the movie in and get it replaced. The one thing I was not happy with from Blockbuster was they did not offer HD movies. Although Netflix does they didn’t always send one even if you had it to your watch listed.

After reviewing both services I feel Blockbuster offers the Best Deal. Do any others have an opinion we love to hear it.

Online shopping deals are everywhere you look. But do you know where to find the Great Online shopping deals? Do you purchase stuff on a consistent basis? In my life I found that there are many things I purchase on consistent basis. I purchase the same tube socks, the same underwear. cleaning supplies, beauty supplies my list is endless.

Sure you can find deals at store levels however like most people my day is quite full. I don't pass drugstores and I don't want to stop on the way home either. My weekends are for my family so I try to avoid stores unless that is what the plan for the whole family is.

Mainly, I do a lot of my purchases online. My biggest targets are always Amazon.com and and Ebay.com, especially for simple items that I know the cost for. Amazon offers two day shipping on all their orders and free shipping on all orders over 35.00.

So where do you go to shop for the best deals online? Do you have items that you would like to find the best deal for?

Put them here, lets see who can find the best deals online!

Welcome to your source for the greatest deals at the Department Store. I will post the current sales circular each week so you can see what deals the top department stores are running along with any special promo or coupons.

Please feel free to add what you found at your local department store!

Target Department Store

Macys Department Store

Dillards Department Store

Kohls Department Store

Many companies wanted research done on the best place to purchase work vehicles and/or personal. I have read many different auto traders and talked with many dealers and found what I consider the Best Car Deal was.

Believe it or not I found the most reliable place for the Best Car Deal is Ebay? Ebay offers all makes and models of cars.

Why do they have such a great deal?
Many dealers and consumers pay top dollar to post their vehicles on Ebay. Since the vehicle is only posted for 10 days they are priced to sell. You will find there are lots of local dealers on Ebay and you can shop by distance.

Can I get a new vehicle on Ebay?
Yes you will find that Ebay offers a wide variety of vehicles from new to old.

Can I finance my vehicle from an Ebay seller?
Yes, there are many banks that offer loans for new and used vehicles not just Ebay.

I have purchased and sold many vehicles through Ebay and have never been disappointed.

Does anyone care to comment? Or know other great locations to purchase a new or used vehicle?

I currently live in New Jersey and a lot of New Jersey Mortgage brokers always say they have the best mortgage deals? Or they have the Best Mortgage Rates? I know this because most of my closest friends are New Jersey Mortgage Brokers.

So how do you get the best mortgage deal? Unfortunately there are so many factors that play weigh in with a mortgage rate.

Here is what I know and I hope this thread leads to others offering more tips and guidance.

First how is your current credit score? Do you have good credit or bad credit?
The current credit average is 692 a good score is anything over 700. If your credit score is low this does not mean you wont be edible but it will make your rate higher.

Can you prove your current income? Have you been doing the same thing for 2 years.
If you can't prove that you had the same job for the past two years this will affect your rate.

Keep up with the current mortgage rates. Ask what banks your mortgage company are working with. In some cases you find your mortgage broker is also a mortgage lender. What this means is you should have low to no closing costs. The reason for this is they get better rates from the bank so they pass that savings on to you.

Bottom line is don't be afraid to shop around if you are serious about buying a home it wont hurt to have a couple of brokers see what they can offer. However if you are not serious and you start to poke around you could damage your credit score so proceed with caution.

Hello and welcome to GetMeLowerRates.com.

I bet your asking yourself "What is this site about?"

Please allow me to explain….

For the past 10 years companies have hired me to look at ways I could save them money in all aspects of their business. I have showed companies how to save money from phone services to health care coverage. My proven methods have saved companies millions of dollars and some cases the brink of disaster.

Over the years I learned ways to apply these proven business methods and find deals and discounts in everything we do in life, food, tickets to shows, mortgage rates etc. Deals are out there if you know where to look and what to ask for.

By now I am sure you’re asking yourself what methods could possibly be out there for you to save time and money. It is very simple... Social Networking!

Over the years I learned to find the experts or a Maven in a particular area. You see when you consult with an expert you learn where to find the best deals. That’s it, it’s that simple. The more experts you know in different fields the less red tape you have to go through and the more deals well present themselves to you.

I designed this site for you the Experts! Become a member and tell us about your field of expertise. Are you a coupon clipper? What newspaper has the most coupons to offer each week. Or is your field of expertise computers, where do you shop for the lowest deals?

Sign up today and share with all of us what you know!