Welcome Rick, The first car has no MOT, I would be concerned as if the car had a years mot, they could have asked more for it, there is good cars out there, just had a look on Autotrader website, starting at £550 with under 73,000 miles and lots of service history, even if you are buying an older car, still good idea to have hpi check, not sure how much mechanical knowledge, sometimes it can be an idea and ask in local dealers if they have any part exchange cars. Even buying a cheap Beemer, if the interior and engine bay looks in good condition, car will probably be ok, engines etc are reliable, you can find bargains, for lower price cars, private sales are better normally, don't forget you are the customer and you can walk and find another car somewhere else. A few credit tips, could be to start saving with a credit union, they always give the lowest interest rates, will also get your credit rating up, another thing could be save up for your cars, then upgrade, takes a bit longer but saves you having a long term commitment to some hp company, good luck with finding your car. :D