Other than just being a writer on Helium, I am also a sub-steward in the Autos Channel, with my area being buying cars and selling cars. I will also be helping Tina Hartley (The Auto Channel's Steward) out in any area that she may need.

We are all a team here.

Remember, I am here to help. If you have any suggestions that you feel might make this a better place or bring an exciting new twist to things, drop me a line. Like the rest of the Stewards and Staff, I am listening.

Need help on anything, find something that doesn't belong, no matter what it is, let me know.

On the personal end:

I am a mother of three wonderful children; two girls, ages 8, 3, and one boy, 15 months.

I have a lot of experience in the Automotive business. "I'm not just another pretty face who thinks that she knows something about cars," as I like to say.

Over the last 5 years, I have been working side by side with my husband running our own business, a small family used car dealership.

Our main focus in this business was to provide in house financing. To most of the world this would be referred to as "Buy Here, Pay Here." Every aspect of running a used car dealership (buying, selling, financing, repair and many others) was in our hands.

Oh, and did I mention I am also the accountant... yup, I do really big tax returns, focusing on Limited Liability Companies.

Prior to this I was employed with a mortgage company where I was what would typically be called a "floater." If there was an area that was too busy I would go there to help out.

My main functions were post closing, closing documentation, final documentation, new loan input, quality control. I also performed many other functions that are too vast to list.

I never went to school to learn any of this... all self taught. If you don't know something, find it out.

The only thing that I did manage to obtain was a certificate in Residential Mortgage Lending through the New Hampshire Mortgage Bankers and Brokers Association.

I have loved to write ever since I was little and being employed more than full time and taking care of children hindered this. Now that I have more time I have picked this "hobby" back up.

I have been published numerous times, not for my article writing, but my poetry. This has also stopped and I plan to pick this back up as well.

I am always open to critique. Anything that is constructive and can make me better as a person and writer is welcome.

My passion is ...

writing, puzzles and learning anything that I can.

My childhood ambition ...

was to secure a postion of intelligence in the Navy and to later obtain my MBA

Why I write ...

because it gives me the freedom of expression and makes me a well rounded person, it gives you to opportunity to put more things into perspective.

My first job ...

was working at a day camp taking care of small children

Autos > Buying Cars How to ensure you're being treated honestly at a dealership

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Finding a dealer that will treat you with enough respect to give it to you honestly is rare. But there are ways that you can safeguard your interest in a vehicle.

Most people don't understand the functions and the full mechanical makeup of a vehicle and telling you everything that you should look at would be too much. For a small fee you can have someone with the expertise look at it for you. After all you can't tell whether or not the ball joints or the bushings are good.

Taking the vehicle for a test drive is always a good idea, not just to see whether or not t here are things that...

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