I just bought a 2001 Exiss 3 horse, MT, 8 ft SW with a factory conversion.  Nice clean trailer for an 01..the family is pretty excited, a big upgrade from our stock trailer with a tack room.  I paid $17,500 for the trailer, it needs an awning repair and on light replaced so I will have about $18,000 in it.  I see similar trailers (make and year) in similar or even worse condition selling for mid 20's and up.  Are the prices on HTW realistic?  I purchased from an individual that had no computer or digital camera so they were kind of stuck with a local sale.  Based on the HTW I think I got a great deal on the trailer and will have a great opportunity for it to hold its value but again I am wondering how realistic HTW pricing is.

Mike

Prices for used products reflect not only the current market, but reflect the relationship to purchasing a new product vs a used product.  In the case of homes, the cost to build has not decreased. Lumber hit a 4 high, steel is up 18% in March alone, Roofing shingles jumped 70% over the winter. So there is no way I can build a new house for the same cost I did in 2009 or 2008.  But the price is considerable less because there are so many distressed homes on the market from foreclosure market.

But if you look at trucks. New loaded diesel pickup are running high $50k.  I bought a new loaded truck in 2006  for $40k.  The fact that the new models cost so much more is helping to maintain the price of the used trucks. The same ecconomics apply to horse trailers.  If people are financially strapped and seling their assets at distressed pricing, It lowers the price for all.  Meaning if somebody bought a $50,000 trailer and has a $1000 a month payment and looses their job, They may be willing to sell it for less than they owe ( just like us home builders did over the last 2 years) just to get out of the loan. If you get enough people dumping their assets then the manufactures ( or builders in my case) have to remove feature and find ways to reduce the cost of the new units to compete.