planning on moving to Washington from Florida but have few concerns (Seattle: sales, real estate market)

[widget007]

Originally Posted by perigee

Talking to small business owners they have a lot to complain about opening and running a business, we have a different tax system then you are probably use to.

Remember if housing is expensive, then land for operating your business is also going to be expensive. As you are looking for a rental house, start looking for commercial real estate. I know it can be hard to go from boss to an employee, but it might make sense to see if you can get some sort of senior management position at a dealer as you research the local market.

Honestly, the best person to talk to is an accountant or lawyer that is use to working with small businesses.

Thank you for the reply , i never worked for anybody and not planning to do that :-)
Working for a new car store with crazy hours,getting orders from people that are not qualify to do their job is very stressful.
Cars were my hobby since i am 10 years old. I know it takes a lot of time at the beginning to run a successful dealership , but when you price your inventory below anybody and you are not too greedy you will do just fine. Plus being a owner gives you opportunity to have more days off and spend more time with your kids.

Thank you again for the reply, all the answers and advice`s are appreciated !!

[CrazyDonkey]

I'd say that your wife, the surgeon, should find her position first, whether in the Seattle area or outside of it. Besides the Seattle area, the Tacoma, Everett, Olympia, and Vancouver areas all have multiple major hospitals. Both Bellingham and Bremerton have highly regarded hospitals (St. Joseph's and Harrison). Once that is settled, figure out where to put your used car lot.

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by perigee

Talking to small business owners they have a lot to complain about opening and running a business, we have a different tax system ...

Honestly, the best person to talk to is an accountant or lawyer that is use to working with small businesses.

study this website
Business Licensing Service of Washington State

[widget007]

What do you Guys think about Redmond or Sammamish for a used car/truck dealership ? Both cities look very nice, not much crime , good school as far as i did our research looks really nice. Properties aren`t that expensive comparing to Bellevue .

Thank you for all the help

[widget007]

Originally Posted by widget007

Thank you for the reply , i never worked for anybody and not planning to do that :-)
Working for a new car store with crazy hours,getting orders from people that are not qualify to do their job is very stressful.
Cars were my hobby since i am 10 years old. I know it takes a lot of time at the beginning to run a successful dealership , but when you price your inventory below anybody and you are not too greedy you will do just fine. Plus being a owner gives you opportunity to have more days off and spend more time with your kids.

Thank you again for the reply, all the answers and advice`s are appreciated !!

Also what do you mean "different tax system than you used to " ??

[homesinseattle]

widget, the demographics in either of those locations would be excellent. Redmond may be the better location, central location/visibility wise.

[widget007]

Originally Posted by homesinseattle

widget, the demographics in either of those locations would be excellent. Redmond may be the better location, central location/visibility wise.

Thank you. Two morequestions
1. What website people in WA use to do a research on houses for sale and commercial properties for rent (not sure if zillow.com is that popular there ?

2. What websites people in WA use to look for cars/trucks for sale (florida: craigslist , cargurus , cars.com etc??

Thank you

[Jane917]

Originally Posted by widget007

Thank you. Two morequestions
1. What website people in WA use to do a research on houses for sale and commercial properties for rent (not sure if zillow.com is that popular there ?

2. What websites people in WA use to look for cars/trucks for sale (florida: craigslist , cargurus , cars.com etc??

Thank you

Zillow is headquartered in Seattle. I would venture to say it is well known and often used.

[tobester]

Originally Posted by widget007

StealthRabbit:

Thank You for the information , we do prefer a little bigger cities than the once you mentioned.
We really like Bellevue , low crime , great schools , the problem is the real estate is sooo expensive there. And i am sure renting some property on a main road for a used car lot will be probably 15k plus a month.
It will take me close to 1 year to learn the business in different State and would like to have a low expenses with the new business.
How about the sales, is everything sold as is in the Washington ? I know some states have some cooling period , and people can change their mind etc.
Sorry for so many questions but need to be prepared for everything :-)
We didnt go to Spokane yet , so maybe that would be our next stop when we visit in couple of months

A quick google search shows we have lemon laws - Washington State is fairly progressive in protecting the consumer. As long as you're selling a quality product, there should be little worry on your part.

[perigee]

One thing to think about is that more and more people are cutting back on driving, housing prices and rent are skyrocketing, traffic is a nightmare I am wondering if people are starting to reduce the number of cars in the household, if not just getting rid of cars to begin with. Be prepared for an uphill fight.

As for the tax issue:

"Here’s how the state B&O works: Businesses receive a classification with a corresponding tax rate. They then apply that rate to their gross receipts and cut Washington a check. Most classifications come with a tax rate below 1 percent, which is low. But what drives many nuts is that businesses get taxed whether they make money or lose money, which critics of the levy say is especially hard on startups and small firms.

“Even in those years you’re not making a profit, the government gets paid before the owner of the business,” says Neighbors."

The Infamous B&O Tax | Seattle Business Magazine