Freeport's very own car lot: Business offers 'quality, low mileage vehicles'

The owners of Ebuyz Auto and Truck Sales in Freeport hope their deals will get your engine revved up.

"We wanted to start a business that we knew was desperately needed in this area," said owner Allen Key. "The closest car lot to us is 20 miles away."

Allen and his wife Denise have been in the used car business for 20 years, owning a dealership in Buford, Ga. Ebuyz opened on Jan. 7, after taking a few months to secure its property at 19323 US Hwy 331 South.

"Because of all the regulations that are out there, it took us quite a while to finally get a place," Denise said. "A lot of people don’t want car lots on the main roads, so you have to work around that."

Ebuyz specializes in selling "quality, low mileage vehicles that are priced under $10,000." Most of the vehicles that the Keys have on their lot are in the $7,000 range.

"We set this price range because that is what the market is sitting at right now," Allen said. "We also make sure that the vehicles we are selling have a clean salvage history and have had no previously major damage."

The Keys purchase a majority of their vehicles from Manheim Auctions in Orlando. Manheim was established over 60 years ago as a wholesale vehicle auctioning service and is the world's "largest provider of vehicle remarketing services" according to its Web site.

"We know the quality of the vehicles they sell," Allen said. "We pay extra for the auction fees and towing to get good vehicles."

The Keys currently have 12-15 cars on their lot, but hope to add some more as they sell through some of their inventory.

"Business has been good so far," Denise said. "We sold three cars in the first week we were open."

Allen said they plan to provide secondary financing for people with marginal credit in addition to providing broker services.

"We want to be able to act as personal shoppers for our customers," Allen said. "If there is a certain type of vehicle you are looking for, you can let us know, then we can find it for you."

The Keys will also consign your vehicle for you.

"We will take their vehicle on consignment for a set period of time, advertise it with nine pictures on autotrader.com and make sure it is washed, vacuumed and presented in the best light," Allen said. "The customer will agree to a price they want to sell it for, we will market the car and save the customer the hassles of having to advertise and leave their vehicle on the side of the road somewhere."

For customers who do not have space at their homes, Ebuyz will provide storage. RV's, boats, and trailers can be stored for $2.10 per linear foot.

"We hope to become the most reputable and respected used car dealer in the area," Denise said. "We would love to service all the local communities from Niceville to DeFuniak and Santa Rosa Beach."

Denise and Allen can be reached at 880-6223.