Lately I have become a huge Craigslist junkie.  For the past couple of weeks, I have been checking the local For Sale listings several times a day to see if I could find any good deals on things I'll need for my new house.  I've browsed Craigslist in the past (even tried listing on it a few times), but nothing ever came of it, most likely because of bad timing or having only a semi-vested interest in the transaction at hand.  However, I've learned that if you want to score big on Craigslist, you've got to be FAST, READY, and FLEXIBLE.

If you see something you like on Craigslist, act FAST.  Reply to the listing immediately, and call the lister if possible.  Also, when you make first contact, make a point to tell them you have cash READY, and can arrange for easy pick-up.  Also tell them that you're FLEXIBLE and try to cater to their schedule whenever possible.  If they see that you're trying to make the transaction less of a hassle for them, this gives you a big edge over other prospective buyers.

Here are my latest pick-ups:

2/24/2008 - Whirlpool Dishwasher for $75
This was an absolute steal.  I got a 3-year old white Whirlpool dishwasher in excellent working condition for just $75 from an upper middle class family in Bel Air.  They were getting rid of it because they just completely remodeled their kitchen and purchased all new stainless steel appliances (must be nice!) and needed to get rid of it fast.  Now I can get rid of the duct-taped piece of shit that came with the house!

2/21/2008 - 3 Wrought Iron Bar Chairs for $60
This was a decent price for 3 heavy iron, upholstered bar chairs.  I had been looking for something like this to put in the new kitchen since it has a big counter-height peninsula that I plan on using as my main eating space.  I bought some dark brown metal spray paint ($10) and heavy diamond-patterned fabric ($20) from Joann's to refinish them so that they exactly match the fabric and decorations I'll be putting in the kitchen.  So the total cost is less than $100 for 3 custom chairs, which is a pretty good deal considering a single bar chair (in a style I hate) goes for $50 and up at most places.

Next up on my hit-list:
1)  White electric range (preferably w/ ceramic cooktop)
2)  Bigger TV
3)  Bookshelves