Having grown up in Alaska, I can appreciate the distances -- but I really recommend that you test drive multiple machines or at least get some sort of hands-on experience if you can. There are many factors to consider. Price/delivery is one certainly -- but also what you hope to do, as well as space available, as well as just how that brand of machine does things.
I find I have relatively short arms and anything longer than about 18" is just wasted on me. I also prefer to stand up and dance along with the machine head on a long arm, as opposed to having a sit down model. I want my stitch regulator, but can't afford much in terms of robotics.
We usually recommend people visit a sewing expo of some sort -- they have been hard to find since Covid and never that big a thing in Alaska even without that added issue. If you have any trips planned to the lower 48, you might want to make it coincide with an expo (or at least go to some shops) so you can see various models all at the same time. As you've already found out -- the base prices are high enough as it is and if you are going to spend 7-30k+ on something, you should get something you already know you like.