Tips on Buying Cars: Buy or rent?, would like your opinion, safeco

Question
Hi Jeremy,
I am being relocated and in a couple of mouths I will be living in LA. Due to my activities, and also considering that I will stay in US for 12 to 18 months I was thinking in buying a car instead of rent, as a form of recovering some of the money that I would pay to the rental company. But, I am having a hard time to figure out simple facts like insurances, and also pretty impressed with its costs!
Said so, I would like your opinion in which option would be best? To rent or buy a car, for about 12k.
Also, should I consider a lease? Although I don’t know if is available for foreigners.
Besides Geico, are there any other companies that insure cars of foreigners citizens without the American DL?
Thank you!

Answer
Andrian,

Thanks for your question.  While I can't so much advise you as what to do, it would be easier to rent, because then you would have to get approved, which would be very difficult not having any US credit history.  As far as insurance, you will need to make sure that you can insure a rental car.  Most insurance companies like Geico, and Safeco, and Progressive will insure someone without a US drivers license, it will just be expensive.

Hope this help.

Thanks - JB