The U.S. is a true melting pot with new, eager faces arriving every day from all over the world for their shot at the American dream. Life in the U.S. can be overwhelming for foreigners who’ve recently arrived, from bank accounts to housing, from work to transportation, there are a lot of specifics to work out when you arrive.
The U.S. is a big country. Many American cities don’t lend themselves to a pedestrian lifestyle. And while many American cities do offer dependable public transportation, owning your own car is very American. Here’s what you need to know about buying a car in the U.S.
There is great online resource for car buying – Cars.com. The site features resources for car buying like finding cars for sale at car dealerships, finding cars for sale by private owner, researching the various car models available, reviews on cars, dealers in your area, used car costs, payment estimations and more. You can enter the type of car you’re interested in buying, and your geographic location into the search criteria, and the site will generate a list for you of available cars in your area.
If you’re new to the U.S., you won’t have much credit history in this country. That may make car buying here difficult until you can build it up. There are some car lots and dealerships that specialize in helping buyers with no credit. Interest rates on these purchases tend to be higher and the payments on the loans tend to be more frequent. If you have cash on hand, that’s the single best way to purchase a car. You won’t have to haggle with the credit issue and you will save money on interest over the long run. You will need a driver’s license issued by a U.S. state to complete the transaction, register the vehicle in your name after sale and legally drive it around.
Car ownership gives you freedom to explore your new country too. The U.S. is a vast network of highways and interstates. Each community, city, state and region are heavily connected to each other which makes travel between by car easy. So hit the open road in your new car and see all that America has to offer in its diversity and its scenery.
