I recently sold my 2003 Isuzu Axiom to my younger brother; big mistake. I’m writing this as a warning to anyone who is considering selling their vehicle to a family member. Now, this isn’t to say that selling your vehicle to a family member is always a bad idea, but in my case, it caused more trouble than it was worth. I love my brother, and we still get along great, but during the process of selling my SUV to him, I have to admit, our relationship was a bit strained.

It all started when I decided that I wanted to invest in a new vehicle. I had purchased my 2003 Isuzu Axoim SUV from a used car lot back in 2006, and with just barely over 100,000 miles on it, I wanted to go ahead and find something a little newer. Also, as gas prices have continued to rise, I was having a hard time affording a full tank of gas each week to get back and forth to and from work.

I tried taking my Isuzu to a few dealerships, and most were able to offer me close to market value, but none were able to completely match it. I also tried selling my SUV online, but most private buyers came by and wanted to argue over the price. One day, just as I was about to give up, my brother called me up and said he’d be interested in buying it at full-market value. I thought, “Wow, this is a great idea. He’s my brother…what can go wrong?”

Unfortunately within a few days of him purchasing the vehicle, the problems started. He first called me up about the brake pads. He claimed that they were worn and that I should pay to have them replaced. Now, in any other circumstance, I would have never done this, but because he’s my brother, I agreed to pay for it, even though the pads were less than six months old. Then he called about the lug nuts, the fogged up headlights and even the windshield wiper fluid. It seemed like it would never end! Every few days, he seemed to be calling about some minor problem that he expected me to pay for.

Eventually, I sat him down and explained that, when he bought the vehicle, he assumed ownership. After that, the calls and requests seemed to stop, and again, we have a great relationship today, but for a while there, things were difficult. If you ever consider selling a vehicle to a family member, please take the time to ensure that they understand that, once the vehicle is sold, the maintenance is up to them.

If you’ve tried traditional methods of selling your vehicle in the past, you may have been disappointed. Most people try to sell their vehicles to dealerships, but this process is typically a hassle. From driving your vehicle to the dealership to waiting hours while your vehicle is inspected and appraised, the entire ordeal can take a while, and often, it doesn’t produce the results that people want. One way to avoid this hassle is to sell your vehicle using your mobile device. As more and more people use smartphones as a daily tool, you may actually be able to sell your car faster and get more money by using this method. If you haven’t considered this selling your vehicle using your mobile device before, here are a few tips:

Take Good Pictures – When selling a vehicle, one of the most important aspects is to allow a potential buyer to actually see the vehicle. While you may be a great writer, the fact is, no amount of illustrative text is going to do your vehicle actual justice. Before buying a vehicle, people will want to see exactly what they’ll be getting. Because most mobile devices now include high-quality cameras, try to take some time to place your vehicle in a great setting, and then take as many pictures as possible. Try to highlight all of your vehicle’s benefits, but also be honest and take pictures of any of its shortcomings. If it has some rust, take pictures. If you installed a new muffler, take pictures. Remember, you will want to offer the most honest representation of your vehicle possible.

Use Apps – While most mobile devices are able to go online, the process of accessing and using a website on such devices can still be difficult. From formatting issues to slow loading times, most websites which allow you to sell a vehicle can be cumbersome. Instead, try to find sites which offer dedicated mobile apps. These apps generally load and update much quicker than traditional sites, and many of them will allow you to upload pictures and information about your vehicle, and buyers may be able to make purchases using the same app.

Of course, if you really want to skip the hassle and get the most amount of money for your used vehicle, you may want to visit a car buyer. A car buyer will be able to professionally appraise your vehicle and get a deal done quickly and efficiently. Additionally, a car buyer won’t haggle with you like a dealership, and you’ll often be able to get top dollar for your vehicle on the spot.

When you bought your vehicle, you probably had a good reason for it, but have you considered your current circumstances lately? The fact is, many drivers don’t actually need their vehicles, but they hold onto them because they’ve been led to believe their whole lives that they’re supposed to have something to drive. If you currently have a vehicle, but you’re questioning whether you actually need it, here are a few things to consider:

Alternate Transportation – If you live in an urban or suburban area, you may actually save money on travel by taking alternate transportation options. These may include buses, trains, light rail trains and more. Many people are also ditching their rides for bicycles, mopeds and scooters. Alternate transportation options are often very affordable, and if you walk, jog or bike around town, you can also get in great shape.

Cost – One of the biggest factors in deciding whether you need to keep your car around is its associated costs. If you don’t own your car outright, you’re probably making monthly payments to a finance company, meaning each month you’re sending off hundreds of dollars. In addition, as gas and oil prices rise, it may make more financial sense to get rid of your vehicle. Unfortunately, many people purchased large trucks and SUVs in the past decade with the belief that gas and oil prices would remain low. As these prices have risen, many of these drivers are having a harder time just using their large vehicles to commute back and forth to work.

Value – By selling your vehicle, you don’t just save on payments and gas costs; you may actually walk away from the sale with more money in your pocket than you thought. While many people try to sell their vehicles to private buyers or car dealerships, they often receive less than the actual value of their vehicle using these methods. This is because private buyers will often try to haggle when purchasing a vehicle, and dealerships will generally give lower offers because they plan to make money by reselling the cars they buy. Selling to a car buyer, on the other hand, can generally bring in much more money by comparison. A car buyer will have specialized knowledge regarding the actual and current value of a vehicle, meaning they will be most likely to offer you the maximum amount for your ride.

Since the advent of the automobile, drivers have been searching for ways to customize their rides. These customizations may have included larger tires and wheels, louder stereo systems or interesting paint jobs, but the point has always been to make each vehicle unique to its owner. Drivers today still seek to customize their automobiles, and with the addition of technological advances in equipment, knowledge and information, many drivers who seek to customize their vehicles add in security systems, television screens, multimedia players and more.

If you’re considering customizing your vehicle, you may be faced with a variety of options, but the most important one you need to consider is the resale value of your vehicle. While it may seem that adding custom components will increase the value of your automobile, this might not always be the case. Even if you’ve spent hours, days, weeks or months customizing your vehicle, you may not get the returns you expect upon selling your vehicle. Additionally, regardless of the blood, sweat and tears you’ve spent upgrading and customizing your ride, there’s little chance of you ever getting a real return on your investment if you choose to sell it.

The reason for this is simple: other drivers want reliability. Unfortunately, even if you’re a professional mechanic or installer, most people purchasing a pre-owned vehicle will want one which is as close to factory specifications as possible. Even if you spent three days or three months installing television screens in the backs of the headrests of the front seats, most consumers will want to pay market prices for vehicles which remain as they were when these vehicles came onto the showroom floor.

Now, this is not to say that you shouldn’t customize your vehicle. In fact, if you feel that you have the ability and opportunity to gain financially from such customizations, then by all means, go ahead. Unfortunately, as mentioned, most people who are interested in purchasing a vehicle will want one that is as close to factory specifications as possible. This also includes dealerships, many of which will only purchase a pre-owned vehicle for top dollar if they meet the dealership’s standards.

The other option, and possibly the best option, is to sell to a car buyer. A car buyer will be able to recognize the hard work and money you’ve put into your vehicle’s customizations and it will then be able to offer you the most cash for your vehicle.