CINCINNATI — The pandemic has affected a lot of markets. The housing market is competitive and the used car industry is just as bad thanks to a shortage of new cars.

​​Eden Rabinowitz is showing off her new ride. But it wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. Originally, she wanted to buy a used car for their growing family but soon learned that wasn’t the best option.

“Everything is going very fast," Rabinowitz said. "Everything is priced really high so when we ultimately looked at the numbers, are we gonna spend this amount on a used car that already has a lot of miles on it or should we just get a new car that will probably not need a lot of maintenance for the next few years. Especially with a lot of young kids and family stuff going on, it just seemed easier to lease a new car.”

So that’s what she did.

But Rabinowitz isn’t the only person struggling to find a used car right now. According to Motor1.com, because of a record shortage in new cars, some used cars are selling for more than their new counterpart. Used cars are now nearly 30% more expensive than before the pandemic.

“The guy at the dealership that we’ve used several times in the past told me, and I trust him, that it’s just not worth it to buy used right now with how the rates are. He suggested just buying a new one," she said.

For Rabinowitz, who’s expecting her second child this summer, leasing a minivan just seemed like the best option after looking for the right car for almost six months.

“Buying a car is a complicated process," Rabinowitz said. "Ultimately, we wanted a car that would grow with our family over the years and something very safe. And we quickly learned that is was going to be expensive no matter if we bought used or purchased a new car or leased a car.”