GLB

Hi, I have just closed on a holiday home in Arizona. I want to purchase a car for the home, any advice on insurance, UK driving licence versus International Driving Permit and finance options versus cash/credit card etc?

chartreuse

http://www.azdot.gov/mvd/faqs/script...ory=1&Keyword=

http://www.azdot.gov/mvd/azwelcome.asp

Cue questions about visa, etc.

thinbrit

You may legally drive in Arizona using a valid driver license from another country. You will not be able to get an Arizona license as you are not a resident (unless you are lucky enough to get a B1 visa that is 7 months or longer).
Insurance will be very high as you don't hold a AZ license.

Factoring in depreciation, insurance costs, its limited use by you, and depending on the cars purpose (ie are you going to let out your home and offer the home with the car), it may be much cheaper to rent a car instead. How often and for what duration do you plan to vacation there? To keep costs down you may be able to get liability only auto insurance from companies like Safe Auto ( www.safeauto.com )

You'll struggle to get US car financing when you are not a resident.

ian-mstm

So... did you ever get a visa sorted, or is this all still some sort of pipe dream?

Ian

Ginblossom

Gee, and I wonder why people leave the board.

BritishGuy36

If you'd read the OP's previous thread, you'd perhaps not be so fast to criticise, given the attitue exhibited there.

It appears that the OP has gone ahead with purchasing a home despite good advice obtained previously, regarding visas and other more 'risky' ways to 'visit' the US for extended periods (read: 'live in the US for half the time').

Bob

And while we're at it, the IDP is a waste of time and money, unless your UK license is just the old paper style one without the photo, because all it is is a translation of the license and a photo ID, so you'd not need it in the US.

scrubbedexpat099

Buying a car is easy enough, www.cars.com for a start. Most people seem to buy them new over the web now, then all you have to do is go and collect it.

Insurance, that varies by State, as a new driver with no US DL be prepared to bend over and take it.

Never bothered with an IDP, just used my UK DL before I got mu US one.

I doubt if you will have a US finace option, you might just want to get a banger anyway. Cash would be a better bet. Then you ave the reigstration issue, look at your local DMV web site or give them a call.

Bluegrass Lass

Why? Because people are getting info that they don't want to hear? If they can't handle honesty, then they shouldn't bother posting. Besides, given the attitudes people give back to us because they don't like the honest & accurate info we give them, they deserve sarcastic comments in reply.

chartreuse

Sorry, missed this first time around. Last I checked, houses weren't legal entities. As such, they would not be allowed to own cars.

Ginblossom

Actually, I did read all his previous posts. He asked some questions and that was it. I didn't see any hostility in them.

How we do now know for instance that he has given up his original thoughts and plans and now has just bought a house for visiting?

Whatever the actual plausibility of that, I didn't realise that there was an absolutism that said unless you follow every piece of advice given herewith, you are an idiot or undeserving of advice, which is plainly the inference or undercurrent in too many threads around here.

If you think someone's question is too dumb for answering or you are fed up, then why bother to even reply.

I have been the beneficiary of many useful posts and I am grateful for that, but I have also read many many posts & threads where people immediately jump on the OP and say gee you're dumb, go read this link or your plan is stupid, and all they have done is ask a question. That's all, a simple question.

Personally, I have a very thick skin so I could care less what folks say to me but it does makes me wonder. After all, people have left the board recently because of hostility. If that's the board that people want to co exist within, then you're getting close to it. That was my point.

BritishGuy36

a) The point is that there are many folks here who give of their time - for free I might add - to give advice according to their experience (either direct, or learned from others on here), and then once they've answered the question, the OP decides they don't like the answer(s), and proceed to ask how they can get around it (i.e. straying into subjects of dubious legality) or just ask basically the same question again, reworded, hoping for a different answer.

Under those circumstances, how can you blame the replies that are given?

b) Anyone using an internet forum should be courteous enough to at least read the very informative stickies at the top of the relevant forum (and hence answering most if not all of the queries in their OP). If they can't even be bothered to do that, why should others be bothered to put together a substantial and polite reply?

meauxna

If I were you, I would ask your US girlfriend first. If she just doesn't know or you think it might be different for someone in your situation, you should probably do some searches and read some of the many past posts.

There won't be too many people here with your direct experience, specifically AZ. I also suggest you check the wiki under the city entries to see what there is.
My parents just registered their cars in AZ and even to my nitpicky-loves-bureaucracy-mother, it was (according to her) "a nightmare". She's a USC who actually IS resident in AZ and was moving the cars from another state.

Ginblossom

I don't much care to get into a pissing contest with anyone, least of all, folks I don't know. You are quite right that people do generously give their advices for free, and people should, perhaps, do some research before questions. Isn't a perfect world is it.

But that said, many people do not, and equally, if people's time is so precious, then why should they waste it with in substantive, rude or condensing replies.

My point was a general one about tone and civility. It strikes me that a lot of people come here, ask questions, get answers (of varying quality) and disappear again never to be seen again. It would be interesting to know the reasons for that and how much is down to the tone of the response.. After all, didn't a very long established member leave the board just last week because of this matter....

It does not matter if the OP is stupid or idle, IMHO ..it seems to me at least that you are simply justifying a case for being rude, discourteous and impolite in response.

Cape Blue

I see that you are a Brit, have you been living in the US for a long time? I'm just interested as the "I could care less" is one of the expresions I see as very American - most Brits I know would say "I coundn't care less".