Buying a car from the US: the boring checklist

1. Landed cost, not sticker cost. Auction price + auction fee + inland transport + ocean freight + customs + broker + repairs. Print it before bidding.
2. Title type decides everything. Clean, salvage, rebuilt: resale value and insurance react to each differently. One word moves the price by a third.
3. Two auction histories minimum. Cars get photographed at every sale. Look at the full life of the car, not only today's damage.
4. Parts before purchase. Find the two most-wearable parts for this exact trim and their price, plus days to delivery. A popular model with a dead supply line is a dead model.
5. Inspect on arrival, pay after. The last transfer to the broker goes out after you personally see the car, not when the ship docks.
6. Four-to-six-week buffer. Port, holidays, weather, documents. If a deal only works on exact dates, it is a risk wearing a costume.

Specs and trims are the last five percent of the decision. The boring list is the other ninety-five.