Ok so if I decide to buy used in order to get a better pistol for less...
Be careful - it's not a used gun market at the moment. Now that the last buying panic has ended, dealers are awash with guns. On a recent Gun Talk podcast, folks were whining to Tom that dealers just weren't offering them anything on trades these days - Tom told them that now that the new gun pipeline has been filled, dealers are getting such deals from manufacturers that they can more than likely buy the gun new from the maker cheaper than they can a used gun.
This mirrors what I'm seeing in my neck of the woods, and a buddy of mine just called me the other night with tales of woe about no local dealers wanting to offer him anything on his used gun.
Take your time - pick out what you really want (assuming this is going to be a long-term investment) and shop.
Since you're coming from NY to VA, it's a whole 'nother ball game AFA buying guns. After you're here, shop guns shops - there are plenty of small shops in VA giving much better deals than the big box stores.
You can also check around and find a local FFL dealer that does transfers for a reasonable price - $25 is the going rate, although I'm seeing some shops trying to up it to $35 (I still know of one individual that charges $10).
If a VA gun dealer won't handle a transfer for a reasonable fee, don't forget pawn shops - many in VA are FFLs, and tend to charge less for transfers than guns shops do.
If you keep an eye out on Slickguns.com, 'specially with the upcoming holidays, I'm betting you'll find plenty of deals with no CC fee and free shipping.
I've always managed to buy my guns new, usually at as good as (or better) prices than I could used.
BTW - what area of VA are you going to locate? Let folks know the general area, and maybe some can recommend a low-cost gun shop?
We're fortunate enough in my area to have a "no haggle" dealer - he got tired of all the games, and just hangs a low price on everything - no negotiation (I like that!). He's a small shop, but due to his pricing, does a LOT of sales - he moves enough stock that he qualifies for deals other local gun shops often do not, and he passes the deals to the customer.
Just as an example - I bought a new SIG P229R from him for $659 - online (and in some big box stores), I see the darn things going for $900!