Buying A Used Vehicle From Far Away

I live in the Chicago area and I can understand the whole rust/salt thing. Last spring I found a used truck in Phoenix AZ. After checking the Carfax history and looking at a lot of pics I made a deal over the phone and gave the dealer $500 via credit card to hold the truck till I got there to look at it. The dealer as willing to refund the $500 if the truck was not what we discussed. We also had family in the area so it would not have been a complete wasted trip. I was so amazed by how clean the truck as in NO rust anywhere that I over looked a lot of little things that needed repair. I am still good with my purchase because I would rather do mechanical repairs then deal with rust and day. I have seen 5 year old trucks with more rust then my 2003. Just make sure if you buy a warranty that you can use it in your area.