No one can deny the value and affordable price of a used car, but many consumers commit to a new car payment for fear of the risk that goes hand in hand with used cars. But the fact is, if you are a smart shopper, do your research, and are realistic in pricing, a used car can very easily be an excellent value, especially if they are from the last five years. And the benefits do not end at the lower price tag. However, buying used cars in West Des Moines does involve a certain risk, so it is very important to find a balance between the two. Here are some factors to consider:
Depreciation: a new car has a rapid depreciation in the first few years. Models typically lose about 45 percent of their value in the first three years, compared with 25 percent over the next three. But, no all vehicles depreciate the same, and some will hold their value much longer.
End of Warranty: used cars are becoming more and more reliable. But, a used car is either close to coming off warranty or already off it. This means paying for repairs on the used car out of pocket. Depending on the vehicle, the expense of repairs would still be relatively modest considering the overall savings from buying a used vehicle.
Reliability: used cars have become amazingly reliable in the past few years. Rust and exhaust-system problems, once common, are now no longer a major concern. As a result, buying a late-model used car has a much reduced risk, compared to the past. When properly maintained, today's vehicles should easily go well past 100,000 miles without breakdown.
Financing Options: Loans for new cars typically have a lower interest rate, but the difference is often not a major concern. These two rates of a new car or used car are often within just one percentage point of each other, and the additional interest you pay on a used-car loan adds very little.
West Des Moines is an affluent city in Polk, Dallas, and Warren counties, and is is the second-largest city in the Des Moines metropolitan area and the ninth-largest city in Iowa. It ranked 94th in Money magazine's list of the "100 Best Places to Live and Launch" in 2008. For economy there are some large businesses located in the city, including Bureau Financial Services, Hy-Vee, Iowa Foundation for Medical Care, and the Kum & Go convenience store chain. Other large employers include Wells Fargo's Card Services and Home Mortgage divisions. The West Des Moines was originally home to the Sac and Fox tribes. In West Des Moines' early years, the town was a trading and shipping junction.
West Des Moines incorporated as the city of Valley Junction on October 9, 1893. In its early days Valley Junction was home to the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad's switching facilities and repair shops due to its location at the junction of several railroad lines. The Rock Island's facilities moved out of Valley Junction and back into Des Moines in 1936.In 1918 a new school was built and as a part of schoolboard policy, only first class college-educated teachers were hired. By 1919, the rooms of the new high school were filled. A new junior high school was proposed, approved, and completed by the fall of 1923. The new school was the only bright spot in the otherwise uncertain dreary years of 1922 and 1923.
Although the 1920s was the era of prohibition for the rest of the country, Valley Junction had officially become a dry town in 1915. The Depression was especially hard for the workers of Valley Junction because the railroads had finished pulling out by 1936, and the Keystone Coal Factory had to close because of flooding in the tunnels. By 1937, only two trains stopped daily; the sagging business climate needed a boost. In 1938, the name "Valley Junction" was relegated to the past, and the new city of West Des Moines took the first steps to a new identity. Flooding has constantly dampened, but has not broken the residents' spirits over the years. The unpredictable waters of the Raccoon River and Walnut Creek have often exceeded their banks, filling the streets and damaging homes and businesses. West Des Moines expanded into Dallas County during the 1990s and 2000s, punctuated by the opening of the Jordan Creek Town Center shopping mall in 2004. In 2007 construction started on the Village of Ponderosa, an urban-inspired and pedestrian friendly community. During the 1990s a new city/school campus emerged near the intersection of South 35th Street and Mills Civic Parkway. West Des Moines' new police station opened in April 1992.
3055 SE Delaware Avenue
Ankeny, IA 50021