The DMS Apex dealer blog

A practical method for pricing used cars on an independent lot: start from your real cost, check the local market, set a target margin, and adjust with car age.

Inventory turn rate shows how many times a year you sell through your stock. Learn the formula, a worked example, and practical ways to turn your lot faster.

Set clear age limits for your inventory. A simple 30-60-90 day review plan helps you reprice, change course, or wholesale cars before holding costs eat profit.

Every day a car sits costs you money. Learn what goes into holding cost per day, how to calculate it with a worked example, and how to use it in decisions.

A practical guide to buying used cars at dealer auctions: set a max bid from your target profit, count fees and recon, inspect carefully, and avoid overpaying.

Know what every car really costs you. Here are the reconditioning expenses to track per vehicle, how to decide what is worth fixing, and a worked example.

A step-by-step method for appraising a trade-in: inspect the car, estimate recon, check the market, and set an offer that leaves room for profit and surprises.

Should you keep retailing a car or wholesale it? Compare expected net profit, holding cost and risk with a worked example to decide when wholesale wins.

The FTC Buyers Guide must be posted on used vehicles offered for sale. Learn the as-is and warranty boxes, the Spanish version, and state differences.

How the federal odometer disclosure works, what the buyer and seller sign, what to do when mileage is not actual, and how exempt vehicles are handled.

What an as-is sale really means, what it does not protect you from, how it ties to the Buyers Guide, and why some states limit or ban it for dealers.

A line-by-line look at the Buyer's Order: parties, vehicle, price, trade-in, fees, taxes, deposit, required state wording, and signatures.

A practical checklist of what belongs in every deal jacket, from the Buyer's Order and title to disclosures, ID copies and OFAC records, plus how to store it.

How to handle a trade-in that still has a loan: get the payoff, deal with negative equity, pay the lender on time, and document it in the deal.

Title brands, open liens, duplicate titles, out-of-state titles and electronic titles: the common title problems dealers face and how to spot them early.

What an OFAC check is, why dealers screen customers against the SDN list, what the security statement says, and how to keep proof of every check you run.

Most states lower the taxable amount of a car sale by the trade-in value, but not all do. Here is how the credit works, with a worked example and what to check.

A plain explanation of dealer documentary fees: what they cover, which states cap them or require a posted notice, and why taxability differs by state.

Whether a service contract or extended warranty is taxable on a used car depends on the state. Learn the common patterns and how to handle it on the deal.

Selling to a buyer who lives in another state? Learn the general rule that tax follows registration, how states differ, and what paperwork to keep.

A step-by-step way for an independent dealer to pick a doc fee: check your state's rule, count your real costs, stay consistent, and review the number every year.

Title, registration, and plate fees go to the state, but who collects them and how they appear on the deal varies. A clear guide for independent dealers.

A practical checklist of the sales tax records an independent used-car dealer should keep, how to organize them by month, and how to prepare for an audit.

Tax rates, fee caps, and notice rules change. Use this yearly and mid-year checklist to catch changes in your state and local area before they cost you money.

A practical checklist for starting a used car dealership: entity, state license, bond, insurance, location, taxes, bank account, software, first inventory.

Not every feature earns its price. Here are the dealer software features independent used-car dealers actually use every week, and how to test them in a trial.

Spreadsheets work at first, then start to cost you time and accuracy. See where they break down for used-car dealers and how to know when it is time to switch.

Learn how to track profit per car: what counts as cost, gross versus net profit, and a worked hypothetical example you can copy for your own used car lot.

Set up fair sales commissions and decide what each team member can see. A plain guide for independent used-car dealers on commission plans and permissions.

How to take a deposit, write a clear receipt and hold a car for a customer without disputes. Practical tips for independent used-car dealers on terms.

A month-end routine for independent used-car dealers: the reports to run, what to check in each one, and how to spot problems before they cost you real money.

Thinking of changing dealer management software? Use this checklist to export your data, test the new system, run both side by side and switch cleanly.