Congratulations!! You now have an accepted offer! So, what's the next step?

First, be sure that a deposit check or wire is sent. Even though the deposit is still refundable at this point, it shows commitment to the "Offer", which was just signed.

Second, find a mutually acceptable facility that will accept the plane for an inspection. If the seller is unwilling to let an experienced shop look at the plane, now is the time to find out. Well-maintained aircraft rarely have a problem successfully getting through a prepurchase inspection. Conversely, seller's should look forward to having an experience shop inspect their plane, especially if it is as good as the seller believes it to be.

However, before beginning an extensive inspection, it is best to do a pre-prepurchaseu com inspection. Some buyers choose to do this step before making an offer, which is okay. However, it may lead to "falling in love" with a particular plane before completing the evaluation and negotiating process. This may lead to paying too much for less than the best plane.

The pre-prepurchase includes:

1. A physical inspection by the buyer and/or his representative.
2. A test flight to insure that all equipment is working.
3. A logbook review to insure an accurate knowledge of the plane's history.

At this point you will have an excellent idea of whether or not the plane was accurately represented. If not, this is the time to walk away from the deal or renegotiate. By following the process to this point and developing a healthy relationship with the seller, you will usually find the plane to be in the condition that it has been represented to be, at least 75-90% of the time depending on the age, make/model, and price. Now you are ready for the extensive prepurchase inspection.