As far as 'tools' . . . here is what I use & do.
1) NADA - more of a depreciation tool than a market value, but it is a reference point. NADA tends to overstate the value on newer boats and understate the value on older boats. My experience is that NADA and other tools are about equal on a 12 year old boat.
2) BUCValu.com - a better tool than NADA, since it seems to have more market factors applied on a regular basis
(KBB - I do not see that KBB has info for boats :noidea: )
3) All the boat listings that you can find. (Craigslist, BoatTrader, powerboatlistings, oodle, etc). If you review those over a period of time (weeks/months), then you will get a good feeling for what is available, what is in your area of search and how long it has been available. This is valuable information.
Keep in mind that a boat that is listing for a somewhat long period of time (months) at a certain price would indicate that the boat is not worth anywhere near the price. If it were, then it would be sold and no longer listed (right? ). Another thing to keep in mind is that the boats listed on advertisement site are the boats that have not sold (yet) the ones that move off of the site are presumably sold or de-listed.
You will typically see boats at the bottom of the asking price range get sold. Boats tend to get sold based on price and condition. . . so the better boats at the lower prices sell, the others do not, and that is what you largely see on the ad listing sites.
So, I take NADA, BUCvalu, plus a whole bunch of ad listings, combine all those facts and figures into an understanding that paints a picture of what the market looks like for a particular type/brand/size of boat.
Value is what you or someone else is willing to pay for something. When we speak of value, it is often referred to what someone else is willing to pay or has paid for something. . . presumably you would pay what someone else had paid, but not a whole lot more.
From the brief description of your experiences, it sounds like you are looking at boats in the lower price range and those are what typically go fast, if they are in good condition, particularly this time of year, as everyone wants to get on the water. You should do your research and be ready to move quickly. With higher priced boats, there are fewer buyers, so there is more time.
