When trading in a vehicle and its upside down how should numbers look on paper?

Most lenders will not accept or consider an installment contract with a negative figure. In otherWords, The dealer is forced to increase the sales price by a factor equal to the negative equity, which balances out the buyers order and contract. (Be aware of the actual trade value(ACV) found in the NADA, KELLY Blue or Black Book.) It is questionable in regards to the integrity of the deal, but promoted by the indirect lender that the dealer is getting your financing through. I was a director of Finance for a mega dealer in the St Louis area for a number of years. The questionable and often seamly unetehical tactic is usually promoted by the Banking Industry. However, remember that the dealer will often use the increased trade value as a tool to capture your business by presenting the inflated trade value as the real value(ACV) and thus taking your attention away from the inflated sale price. A personal side note. Nobody gets a great deal, unless somebody screwed up.