When buying a used car, it’s key that you do your homework because you’re buying the car “as is.” That means that you’re buying the car and whatever problems may go along with it. Rarely, a used car will still be under warranty. But most used cars are not, and you want to know what has happened with that car. The BBB has just released a warning about all of the flood cars coming out of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi in the weeks and months after Katrina. They are being stripped and resold without people ever knowing they were flooded. And a flood car will not ever be okay. So, the first thing you do is have an independent mechanic check out the car. Make sure the mechanic is ASE certified. Also, do a Carfax report on a car. That is the 1-2 punch to give you information on car and its title history. A clean Carfax report doesn’t necessarily mean you are safe. But together they will prevent you from getting a lemon. And beware of these cars coming into the marketplace in a year or so.