Everyone has given such good advice. I'll let you know that I bought an A1 Long Arm, and I absolutely LOVE it!!! It's very smooth and easy to maintain. The quality is unmatched! It's a little more expensive, but well worth it.

We also bought an A-1 LA. We researched and tested out ever machine made for 2 years but we always came back to preferring the A-1. It is a dream and no problems with it at all. Easy to run and maintain. There is a LA out there that will fit you & your wallet & needs, but you have to do some testing to find out which it is. I wish you luck. Also remember, it is an investment.

I would look locally, because if you have a problem you can get it fixed locally.

I agree with that. I bought mine from a local shop. They had a used Gammill and I love it. They set it up for me and went through the steps of setting it up and quilting, then left me with a quilt sandwich to play with. I've been practicing since then. I've not had a lot of time with it since I'm dealing with cancer also, but when I get a project reading to quilt, I'm off to the shop with my oxygen, ready to play.
If I have a problem with the machine, which has just been once, but they are right here in town to help. But do try them out first.

Sue, most of us with LAs handle 99% of the repairs ourselves. You want to make sure you are trained in timing your own machine and making adjustments for different types of threads and thread combinations, or you will end up spending a lot of time waiting for someone to show up just to make adjustments. My dealer is several hundred miles away, and is always available by phone if I need a nudge in the right direction.