Paris and I are about 3 months away from a lease expiring and we are starting to look at cars.  This vehicle will serve two masters.  The first and foremost will be our family, Paris, I, and our two boys, one 13 and one 5.  The second will be our business and showing our clients properties.

I have to say that about 50% of the time when showing properties our clients take their own car due to having children and the child seat being installed in the car properly.  And by "properly" I mean:

The child seat should not move at all when attempting to move it with about 70% of your strength if you have it installed in the correct manner.  This requires you to place the seat-belt in the correct way through the back of the child seat.  Then you must make the seat belt's "ratchet" by totally extending it out then allowing it to retract.  The next step is to get into the car and place your knee into the child seat and put your body weight into the seat forcing it into the vehicle's seat and taking out all of the slack in the seat belt.  When you finish you should be able to play a tune on the vehicle's seat-belt due to it being so absolutely tight.

We offered Child-Safety classes when I was working Valley Traffic Division.  And until I sat through one of the classes our kids were never restrained properly.

Now to the questions:

• What type of vehicle do we buy?
• Is there a "green" vehicle that has room for 4 adults and children?
• Do clients really see their Realtor's vehicle as an indicator of their status?
• Should we go for a luxury vehicle?

I think the Toyota FJ is a nice vehicle.  But that brings me to the idea of purchasing something domestic.  Due to my loyalty to our economy.  Or am I going to support our country by buying a vehicle that is "foreign" but made in our country.

Thanks in advance my brothers and sisters for your suggestions and help...