PKS

PKS,
Do not be afraid to ship a machine.  You can find a packing company in most cities that will come to the home of the seller, remove the item, and then pack/ship the items to you.  They will normally use a freight company to do this, and the items will be delivered to your driveway.  You are responsible from there for moving into your home and assembly.  
I would hope most sellers would work with a buyer to complete this process.  I shipped a large George table from Detroit to Florida, and it was approximately $400 for the entire process.  You can ship cars across the county for less than a thousand dollars.  It depends on the weight, and the size of the item.  As the APQS machine with frame is rather light and can be packed relatively in a small area, the cost to for packing and shipping should not be excessive.
As you would not be viewing the machine in person, you would have to arrange viewing the machine via FaceTime or some other video system, so you can ensure the machine is fully operational.  Though most quilters are an honest lot, so you probable get what is described, maybe even a little more.
If you drive to the seller to check out the machine, you can always drive the machine head, table frame, and other items that will fit in your vehicle home, and only have the rails shipped via freight.  If you have an SUV with a roof rack, you might be able to purchase a 10 foot long 2x10.  Strape the rails to the board, and then strap the entire thing to your roof rack and drive your purchase home.  Just be sure to not overload the roof rack weight limits.  Wrap the rails in plastic wrap to protect them if it rains.
You can rent a U-haul trailer, or even possible barrow a small trailer.  The APQS parts will not weight that much.
You have many options of buying and getting the machine home.  When the time is right, the perfect machine at the right price will turn up.
Best of luck to you finding what works best for you.
Cagey

Thank you Cagey, Betsy, Sue, and Sewingpup for your thoughtful responses.   I have been checking for used machines as well.   I guess that I am leaning toward the Lucey (with the deluxe table, bliss, and auto fabric advance.)  My husband thinks that is the one I should purchase as well.  Now I just need to find a spot for her.
Pam