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BUYING A CLASSIC CAR THROUGH CRAIGSLIST and RMCTRADER.COM

In 1976, I owned a Triumph TR-7. But, my beloved sports car “died a horrible death” at the hands of an incompetent mechanic. A two-seater was no longer a viable option for my growing family, so I didn’t buy another. Now, in 2012, I wanted the classic car! My research didn’t find any TR-7s that were in running condition. Most were being sold for parts.

Then I found it! The ad on Craigslist stated that the car ran perfectly, the interior was in pristine condition, and the only cosmetic flaw was a small dent in the rear bumper. The detailed ad even stated that the electrical system was in perfect working order…a statement I thought might be an exaggeration. (The original Triumphs were known for their electrical system failures.) Actually, the whole ad sounded too good to be true. When I read that the chocolate brown sports car only had 32,000 miles on it, my skepticism rose to an entirely new level.

I made a preliminary phone call to the seller, and was impressed by his business-like attitude and extensive knowledge of the car. I like to think that I’m a good judge of people, and this seller, at first glance, appeared to be honest. But, I’ve been “conned” in online transactions before and was hesitant to pursue the purchase. I was especially wary of the claim that he was the original owner of the car.

Several of my acquaintances had made expensive online purchases before, but none of them offered a fool-proof answer for protecting their transactions. Most of them just said that they’d “been lucky.” I wasn’t willing to trust in luck. My brother-in-law, a retired police detective, had some experience with con men. He verified my worst fears…this was, more than likely, a scam to get my money. Then he told me about www.rmctrader.com.

I researched the online escrow service. After reading about their protection of both buyer and seller, I contacted the owner. I asked if he’d be willing to do the transaction through rmctrader.com. At first he was hesitant, an attitude that put up a red flag. Was I about to get “burned” on the car of my dreams? He stated that he was unfamiliar with escrow websites. He was concerned that a third-party company might be a “scam”; however, he would research it, as he was anxious to sell the car.

A few hours later, the seller called me back. He said that rmctrader.com looked like our answer. He was impressed with the services and transaction safety offered. We negotiated a selling price and delivery schedule, then contacted the escrow service. Their buyer protection service, especially title verification and repair/accident records, made me feel more comfortable about the pending transaction.

Two weeks later, the Triumph TR-7 was delivered to my office. It was exactly as described! Rmctrader.com finalized the sale and purchase to my complete satisfaction. The seller and I were thoroughly impressed with their fine customer service.

Creating a Green Living Roof

There’s no hard and fast rules for what constitutes a living roof (they’re also known as ‘green’ or ‘brown’ roofs).   They can be anything from a very shallow layer of soil supporting the growth of lichens and mosses right up to a complete and fully planted up roof garden.

We need more green spaces for the environment and for wildlife and there’s a place that’s almost completely unused on many of our houses.  If only a very small proportion of people planted a living roof it could potentially make a huge difference.

Some of the Benefits of a Green Living Roof

There are actually quite  a few benefits in a number of areas.  Probably the most important is that of water drainage, a living roof will on average absorb 75% of the rain that falls on it.  The advantages are that they allow slower drainage and evaporation reducing the risk of flooding.  The water that flows into our drains and sewers is much more gradual and is less likely to cause damage and importantly reduces the flood risks.

Some of these roofs are very beautiful to look at and when you admire one just remember how that extra little piece of green is helping the environment.   If a city or town has a lot of these ‘living roofs’ such as in Berlin, there is a significant impact on air pollution and carbon dioxide – both of which are absorbed by these roofs.

Wildlife also love these roofs, of course not all animals can get access but birds, insects and butterflies in particular can use these as a successful habitat.  As we slowly reduced the amount of gardens and green spaces for wildlife in general these can offer a lifeline.

Another important benefit to creating a green roof is due to insulation – on average this can be increased by up to 15%.  This green layer will also help protect from the effects of frost and also ultraviolet light.  There are lots of people who can help you get started with a simple search on the internet, in fact there are many green home builders who have vast experience in this area.

Industrial Living Roof

You don’t see that many living roofs unfortunately, however industrial living roofs are much more  common.

Look at this wonderful living roof on a detergent factory owned by a company called Ecover in Belgium.  It’s effectively created a 6000m2 green area literally out of nothing.  There are many more across the globe although it has to be said not nearly enough.  If you’re interested – check out the Ford Motor company in Michigan which also has a huge living roof on it’s factory there.