First off, business here at Ray Rairdon Yacht Sales has been brisk this fall with no signs of letting up. We're selling boats at a rapid rate and we are on a constant lookout for good quality listings

With all the talk about some of the larger funding sources withdrawing from the market, it is understandable that a few people might be reluctant to contemplate the purchase of a newer or larger boat. Unlike what has happened recently in the housing market, marine lenders have never gotten overly "creative" in our industry so boat loans have remained a very secure market To put your mind at ease, the following is a partial list (in alphabetical order) of funding sources that we have worked with over the years that Remain Very Much Interested and Enthusiastic About Financing Boats!

• Essex Credit • Tom Hill • 206-282-8100
• Peoples Bank • Jennifer Patterson • 206-297-2850
• Seacoast Marine • Megan Randall • 206-784-7773
• Sterling Savings Bank • Joe Parent • 206-789-7704
• Trident Funding • Michael Jenkins • 206-721-7704
• Viking Bank • Toby Wilkins • 206-784-2200

We've also spoken to a few people that are holding onto their boat rather than selling now, in the belief that next spring will present a better market and their boat will sell for a higher price. In our opinion, This is False Reasoning. Unlike houses, boats are no investment. In fact, in spite of our abundant love for boats, they are very much a depreciating asset.

Depreciation, moorage, maintenance, insurance & interest… the total cost of keeping a boat an additional 6 to 8 months waiting for a market change is incredibly expensive and far offsets any slim possibility that its market value will increase. It simply doesn't happen