Let’s take a journey. We take journeys every day: short ones, long ones, real ones, pretend ones. Journeys are a nice reprieve from our daily schedules. Sometimes we get away by reading a good book. Sometimes we daydream. Sometimes we take a vacation. Some of us go to the movies.

No matter what kind of journey we have time for, it’s hard for us to enjoy our travels unless our daily needs are met. A major staple in all of our lives is transportation. Without a vehicle, we are limited in our accomplishments, even our jobs. We are limited in our travels.

That’s where I come in. Hi, I’m Tom. Now, I love to travel. I’ve been to Australia, Tahiti, Thailand, and New Zealand. I love to read, and go to the movies. I’m not all that big on daydreaming. My daydreams consist of what I can do for others. My current journey has been a search for affordable transportation for those who are unable to afford it through typical means. This has been really important to me. All my travels throughout my life have really been with the intended outcome of helping others. But I’ll save those for other stories. This one is about Ren’T’Own.

Renting to own is a relatively new approach to purchasing a vehicle. How many of us can afford to walk on to a new car lot and pay the sticker price for a car, PLUS interest? Somebody must, or they wouldn’t exist. But for many of the people I know, that isn’t even a consideration. So what’s the next option? A used car. But how do you know what you’re getting? Has it been wrecked? Is it a reconstruct title? We never know what problems we might be inheriting. And again, paying for a used car requires a pretty stiff initial cash outlay. With most of us living close to month to month, saving up thousands of dollars for a car is a huge challenge.

So here’s what I can do for you. I buy cars and rent them to customers until they have made enough payments to afford the car. That’s what Ren’T’Own is. The initial payment is usually in the hundreds, (not thousands!), and monthly payments can be as low as $300. But for me it’s not just about the cost. My journey with each sale begins with the actual purchase of the car. I am extremely selective about the cars and trucks that become a part of my fleet. I spend a great deal of time researching each car, to learn its history, its idiosyncrasies, its unique features. I use multiple tools at my disposal, both modern and traditional. I use several mechanics around town who will check out the mechanical systems of a car for me before I buy it. I use various internet sites that can tell me the value and title history of the car. I have several colleagues I trust and respect who help me to determine whether a car is a good buy for my customers. I maintain a shop on site to complete any repairs or maintenance needed before I ever put a customer in a vehicle. And I ensure that I maintain variety in my fleet to meet the various needs of my customers. Two door, four door, truck, minivan, two wheel drive, four wheel drive, etc. etc. Ultimately, I ensure that what I pay for a vehicle, including any repairs or maintenance needed, is something that my customers can live with. In the final decisions, it must be a good match for the customer, both in type of vehicle and in comfortable, affordable payments.

So come join me in my journey. I want to help meet this basic need we all have (and many take for granted!) so you can focus your time and energy on your own journeys.