August 24, 2017 Page 3
Finance
3 Tips When Buying A Used Car
(BPT) - If you’re in the market for a used
vehicle, the car-buying process can be both an
exciting and daunting experience. Whether you
are a first-time buyer or looking for a different
model, a car is one of the largest purchases
you will ever make. It’s not only important
to make sure you have the right car for your
lifestyle, but one that makes the most sense
for your personal financial situation.
If you are one of the millions of Americans
looking to buy, here are some tips to consider.
Get Pre-approved
Similar to buying a house, it’s important to
know what you can afford before you start
hunting for your dream car. If you will be
financing a vehicle, getting pre-approved for
a car loan may save you a lot of heartburn
during your car search.
Interest rates continue to be at historic lows,
but it’s important to check in on what rates you
may qualify for and how it will affect the price
of what you can afford.
“It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement
of looking for a new car and forget about the
affordability piece,” says Renee Horne, vice
president of Consumer Lending at USAA.
“Before you even begin your search, give
your lender a call to see what you can actually
qualify for and what will fit in your budget.”
A good tip to keep in mind is to not let your
car payment exceed more than 15 percent of
your monthly net income. While you don’t
have to stick to it, this rule will help give you
a rough estimate of what you may be spending
each month.
Know What you Can Afford
Knowing what you can afford reaches beyond
your car loan payment. Although used cars are
typically less expensive, they may have more
maintenance and ownership costs.
“It’s important to look at the total cost of
ownership,” says Heather Pollard, vice president
of Auto Experience at USAA. “Everyday expenses
such as gas, insurance, taxes, maintenance and
future repairs are all associated with owning a
vehicle.”
Knowing a rough estimate of these expenses
will help you stay on budget in the long run.
Simple online loan calculators, like this one at
USAA, can help give you an idea of how much
you can afford.
Narrow your Choices
With countless choices available, finding the
right car for you can be a challenge. Your budget
should help narrow some of your choices, but
consider your lifestyle as well.
Do you have young children or plan to start a
family soon? Then you might want to consider
the highest IIHS safety ratings. Do you frequently
travel for work? In that case, improved gas
mileage and reduced emissions are important
factors. Remember, all those extra upgrades
come with a higher insurance price tag and are
depreciating assets once you drive off the lot.
Although you may be more inclined to go after
a new car with the latest cutting-edge technology,
a pre-owned vehicle may be the better alternative
for your lifestyle and budget. Better still, used
car prices are the lowest they have been in years.
Even if you opt for a slightly older version of the
model you’re interested in, many used models
still offer similar advanced features while saving
you thousands of dollars in the end.
Need help finding the right car for you? The
USAA Car Buying Service can help. •.
Hawthorne Happenings
News for the City of Good
Neighbors from an Old Guy
named Norb Huber
Destination or
Departure City?
As I sat and listened to the Boring
Company and several environmental
attorneys present the case for the
Hawthorne test tunnel to be dug under
120th Street last night, I realized I was
witnessing history. The preliminary agreement
was approved. As City Clerk, I sign off on
any agreements. My John Doe is there for the
record. I was witness to the start of a new way
to travel. While thinking of all of the fame
this will bring me, I came up with the solution
to our “mall problem”. The end of the two
mile tunnel is at Hawthorne Blvd and 120th
Street. Just south of the termination point is
a vacant plot of land that has been waiting to
become something great. Turn the Hawthorne
mall property into the transportation center of
the region, the country, the world. What in
the heck am I talking about? Let’s go for it.
Let Elon dig tunnels all over SoCal. Make
the mall property the grand central station to
enter and exit this web of connected tubes.
Dig one over to LAX and shoot people over
on a train directly to the terminals. People
would park in Hawthorne and jet to anywhere
in the world. Dig a tunnel to the NFL stadium.
Dig a tunnel to the beach. What the heck, why
not let SpaceX build a launch pad on top of
the parking structure and start selling tickets
to Mars. Since the tunnels are only designed
for electric cars, I think that we could solve
our parking problems if every Hawthorne
resident would have access to a shared, new
Tesla to commute to work with. Bingo!
No more parking problems. Let’s go for it.
Hawthorne has always been a launching pad
to greatness; let’s blast off and leave poor old
MB and Torrance in the dust. I really think
Elon would like my idea.
Who’s Going to Take My Place?
I’m excited about the upcoming school
year, which begins next week for me. That’s
because I can see the end of the tunnel. I only
have 180 more days in which to mold young
minds. (But who is really counting?) This will
be my final year in education after forty years
of teaching. I received my class schedule and I
get to teach one period of Physical Education
and two periods of Math. I have not taught
PE in over thirty years, but because I have
a credential in that subject, it automatically
qualifies me to teach kids how to stretch and
move. My question is who will take my place
when I retire? If you have not heard, there
is a big teacher shortage in America. Forty
nine states do not have enough qualified Math
instructors to fill our classrooms. Young people
are not entering the teaching
field. Math and science majors
receive a much higher salary in
the tech field. Next year, we will
be short over 100,000 teachers
to teach the next generation of
kids. Closing the education and
economic gaps between the top
and low performing students is
difficult. Most of the time the
low performing schools get less
qualified or non-certified teachers who are new
to the profession. Which leads me back to my
question. Maybe sometime in the past you
have considered being a teacher. Maybe you
sat in a classroom years ago and thought that
you might enjoy being the one in charge, the
one making the difference in the lives of kids.
YOU are needed. There are many programs
designed for making a career transition into
teaching a smooth one. Email me and I can
hook you up with a counselor who can let you
know what it would take. If you are a young
person, please consider being a teacher. Yes,
it is a lot of work, but there are perks to the
job and the bottom line is that you can feel
a real sense of worth knowing that what you
have done has “made a difference”. You have
an opportunity to make America better. So,
let me know if you want to take my place.
While you are at it, let me know if you want
to be City Clerk when I’m gone. Let me
know if you want to write a weekly column
that five of your relatives read if they have
nothing else better to do. Let me know if you
want to spend your leisure time telling others
to have a cold one. I won’t last forever, none
of us will. I just hope they have cold ones
in that place I’m headed. If Jesus can make
wine out of water, he should be able to make
a mighty fine brew.
Bottle or Box?
Speaking of wine, here is another tip I
received from one of my readers: Wine in a
box may get a bad rap compared to its bottled
brethren, but there is at least one distinct
advantage to pushing that rubber spigot to
fill your glass with red Franzia. Boxed red or
white wine can stay good for four to six weeks
after opening, thanks to vacuum-sealed bags
that prevent air from getting in and spoiling
the wine through oxidation. My only question
is why would anyone wait four to six weeks
to drink the thing?
Museum Work Continues
This Saturday starting at 9 a.m. we will be
working on the new Hawthorne Museum. You
are welcome to join in on helping to display
our rich history. The museum is located at
14100 Prairie Avenue. Good Neighbors Day
and the museum’s grand opening will take
place on Saturday, September 16th at 10 a.m.
Come out and get involved. •
(If you do enjoy my weekly column, please shoot me an email. I love to hear from
my readers. – norbhuber@gmail.com)
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but I’m never alone.
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Classifieds
The deadline for Classified Ad submission and payment is Noon on Tuesday to appear in Thursday’s paper. Advertisements must be
submitted in writing by mail, fax or email. You may pay by cash, check, or credit card (Visa or M/C over the phone).
Errors: Please check your advertisements immediately. Any corrections and/or changes in an ad must be requested prior to the following
Tuesday deadline in order to receive a credit. A credit will be issued for only the first time the error appears. Multiple runs will only
be credited for the first time the error appears. No credit will be issued for an amount greater than the cost of the advertisement.
Beware: Employment offers that suggest guaranteed out-of-state or overseas positions may be deceptive or unethical in nature. If
you have any doubts about the nature of a company, contact the local office of the Better Business Bureau, (213) 251-9696. Herald
Publications does not guarantee that the advertiser’s claims are true nor does it take responsibility for those claims.
Apartment for Lease
1 Bed/1 Bath; Laundry on-site;
1 car enclosed garage; $1795/
month – Contact 310-647-1635.
Condo for Lease
2 Bed/2 Bath; Beautiful and
bright south-facing, top floor
unit; Master suite with walk-in
closet; Laundry hook-ups; $2995/
month – Contact 310-647-1635.
For Rent
Very small 1 bedroom Hawthorne
house . Suitable for 1 person.
Off st parking. Small storage.
Utilities paid. Unfurnished. Private
patio. Washer/Dryer. $1,300. Call
424 456 7688.
House for Lease
2 Bed/1Bath with large yard; $2995/
month – Contact 310-647-1635.
House for Rent
LARGE E.S. House 2 BD/2B,
living and family room, 1600sq. 2
Car Garage w/ WD Hook-up’s. Avl.
9/1. 1515 E. Sycamore Ave. No
pets. $3,650.00, one year lease.
310-322-6090.
Private Office for Lease
455 Main St. – All utilities
included; $1195/month –
Contact Ron 310-259-1200.
Townhouse for Lease
3 Bed/2 ½ Bath; 2 Car Garage;
Available August 18th; $4500/
month – Contact 310-647-1635.
To appear in next week’s
paper, submit your Classifed Ad
by Noon on Tuesday.