Buyer's Agent?
 

Are they worth the bother? Can they effectively spot red flags in the paperwork of an esoteric old bird like the Skymaster?

Call it what you want, you NEED a proper pre-purchase survey. Period.

That is unless you have the know-how and the experience to do a thorough job.

Thanks for the reply, AV8ing.

This is exactly the point of my question: you NEED to have a lot of experience and information going into a purchase--or otherwise a lot of money and patience. Obviously an inspection from an A&P with Skymaster experience is highly desirable, but there's much to consider in the books as well. So my question is, can a buyer agent really provide anything beyond what I can sift through in the books myself? If so--great! But I'm feeling dubious, given that there are many GA aircraft out there, and these are a breed apart.

Here's my criteria for purchasing

1. Find the aircraft that meets the needs
2. Do a initial inspection (yourself or with someone that may have knowledge of)
3. Obtain the logs, hard copy or digital copy. Study these books and have a good IA that you trust take a look. Be prepared to pay for the service. A lot can be said about the logs.
4. Pre-buy inspection performed by a shop that you trust, not the sellers shop. If you need to find a shop then get a reference. The aircraft may have to be located to a shop.

Be prepared to spend money, especially when you get to step 4. As you go through these steps be prepared to walk away and don't turn back. Do not let emotions sway the truth. It's best to have someone with you at step 2 that can pull you away from a can of worms.

There is a plane out there for you, it may not be listed for sale. You may need to contact owners that have not listed their plane. Can be tedious and investigative work but it will find you the plane you are looking for.

Also, the Skymaster may not really fit your needs. Make sure you are looking for the right airplane that will do what you expect the aircraft to do.

If you don't have time for all this then you may consider an agent / broker

YankeeClipper - Point well taken and there is no definitive answer.

I'm an A&P/IA and I enjoy helping other pilots/owners/buyers & sellers to complete transaction with a minimum of risk & surprises.

The experience and knowledge level of BOTH professionals AND the clients is so vast that it is impossible to answer your question.

I really enjoy working with owners & buyers that are very engaged and make the effort to learn as much as possible about such & such a make or model. And yes, I often learn new things from clients, - n'uthn wrong with that !

But the subject is so vast and the stakes high enough that missing one seemingly small detail can make the transaction a true nightmare.

So there is no "one size fits all" answer to your question, but I would say that if you feel the agent is not bringing anything to the table well, simply fire him !

Buyers Agent
 

Hello Yankee Clipper
pls read my ;pre buy inspection report, it has around 173 snags, minors and major,s
Herb Posted it and he called it ;ON GOING DRAMA; and that Truly is ,and if u do not get professional help ,and once u have paid , its yours ;Drama; then
Regards
Dennis