Prices will continue to slowly increase i believe. Just keep saving and searching and hold your resolve for a 911! I bought my 40th Bday present a couple years ago and was willing to ship a clean example from the other side of the country. The search is half the fun

 

Why?

 

that's so funny, bc i have a B9 S4 now, shopped for a Cayman for a little, and now set on a 997.2

 

... but that rear is connected to the rest of the car, which is near the bottom of the list aesthetically - flat sides, headlights, interior design and materials - there's a reason 996 values aren't anywhere near 997.1 values for a very mechanically similar car.

 

life is too short to nickle-and-dime over something you really want like a 911. get it quickly and don't look back. the thing you are losing now is seat time in a 911.

 

I was raised “without a pot to **** in or a window to throw it out of” (to quote my grandmother) and while I have achieved some level of success, I still struggle with the idea of spending more than $50k on a car. Plus, I don’t want to get divorced. I hope this helps to clarify my comments.

 

With a $50k cap, you've about priced yourself out of any 997 other than a 120k mile S car or a higher mileage base model and may need to start looking at 996s or other Porsche models. You can find a really nice 928 for $35-$40, have a bit left for some updates or repairs and get in on those before the bubble rises, which it has already started to do. They're different in look, feel, and drive from 911s but still have that Porsche lineage. I have a couple of each and DD one of my 928s.

 

You don't have to explain yourself or your budget to anyone. If you don't mind higher mileage, you can find a car today that will meet your needs. Alternatively, $50k buys you a helluva nice boxster/cayman, which in my experience, is a better driving car.

 

i would be open to the cayman except that I need the (mostly unusable) backseat to carry my 8 & 10 year old daughters around.

 

This!

 

In response to your original question as to whether or not the market for 997's will reverse itself - in my opinion, no - not for well-sorted cars with reasonable miles. At least not to the tune of them selling for $40k to $45k.

The initial price of the car is only part of the cost equation with a 911. They can be very reliable cars (if they have been cared for / maintained), but maintenance and repairs (even if you do the work yourself) is not inexpensive. Most cars on the market at any time will need something initially - repairs or addressing maintenance that's due or past due. So even if you could purchase a decent 911 for somewhere near $45k, you'll need to have additional $$$'s budgeted to take care of anything that may be needed. (It would be worthwhile to review the Porsche Recommended Maintenance Schedule for the 911 - what's needed and when, relative to miles or time. Then put a pen to developing an estimate of what a reasonable budget would be to have on hand.)

If you truly intend to purchase a 911, hoping, and or waiting for the market to "self-correct" is not an effective action plan or strategy.

You need a strategy and a plan.

Join your local chapter of the Porsche Club of America. Spend time speaking with members who have ownership experience with 911's. If possible, drive some cars. Understand what the differences are in the various models and options. (You may find that driving a Tiptronic or a PDK car is not that bad. Or on the other hand, you may find that you don't like that experience.) Better to find out about those kinds of things before you make a purchase. Gaining more exposure to these cars may influence your value preconceptions. These cars are treasured and highly prized for reasons.

Continue to scour this forum for information (the search function is hugely valuable.) Gather facts and information. Get answers to your questions. Set out to become highly informed and knowledgeable so that when you do embark on a shopping mission - you'll be better equipped to make a good decision - one that you will not regret (or get a divorce over.)

Good luck with the process.

 

Ok this will work on selling it to the spouse however just between us (and the world) you have about 1.5 years left for your older daughter to be in the back seat before the complaining starts. So if you can, get what you want and don't worry about the seats.

 

You are corr3ct. We have all three gone on a test drive. The older one had to sit in the passenger seat with the younger one behind her. This was because th3 younger one had no leg room when trying to sit behind me in the drivers seat.

 

I agree with previous posts that the market is not going to "correct" into your budget. So you are faced with constraint management: budget, features, quality, time - just like any project. If budget is fixed then the other 3 need to shift in some way or the project/purchase becomes impossible. If Porsche ownership is the dream there are other choices (I'd still advocate for a Cayman/Boxster because you aren't realistically using 3 or 4 seats for long). If Porsche 911 ownership is the dream then features and quality will have to shift a bit, here is a great option in the year range, manual trans (which I think you'd want in a pre-PDK model year): https://finder.porsche.com/us/en-US/...reowned-1MG24M

Just go buy that car and be done with it

 

OP: maybe you can find a relatively low mileage (45k) 997.1 lightly optioned, very well maintained base for $30 -40k (like mine). To me its 95% of enjoyment of all the other higher priced/more optioned versions - do not give up on your dream-life is to short.