Some thoughts
The Boxster is a wonderful car to drive and own but any 6 year old car has risks, Boxsters aren't the only ones. I think you hear about the Boxster failures because we are such a connected community. But frequent any enthusiasts car forum and you'll hear similar stories.
I've owned a '99 and then an '01S and both have been more reliable than other makes I've owned of the same era...reliable defined in $ spent in unscheduled maintenance costs ($15 a month!) and in times left me stranded (zero).
Before you go buy a Boxster, find out what Porsche resources are in your neighborhood to help you maintain it. Not every mechanic in town is going to have the tools to work on a Porsche (special computerized maintenance system). Ask other Porsche owners for their recommendations.
And before you buy it, have an experienced Porsche mechanic do a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) on the car. Given where you live, you want to make sure there was no flood involvement. Or accidents, or massive mileage-based repairs that are needed. Cost of the PPI should be around $250 and you should pay but you'll learn about the car and what it could need in the next months before you buy. (Mine needed $1300 in work but because I knew that and the seller knew it too, it was factored into the price I paid.)
And example of a PPI can be found
here