[mike monde]

"Treat yourself to the hunt, you just might realize you've been missing out on one of the best parts of the Porsche experience, and save a bunch of cash, which is kinda nice too."
+1

I have been down both roads on this topic and in my experience, at the end of the day you need to do your DD. I know Holt has a good reputation with some on this board, but my experience with him wasn't pleasant. I trusted his "knowledge" and "experience" and didn't do my DD on the car and I got burned. He was looking to sell me a car, but left out some key information about the car that an "expert" should have seen and passed on to a naive buyer. (Lesson learned) My point isn't too dog a Holt (Tim, no need to send me a PM) or any other broker, just that you need to do your DD on any car, whether it is a private deal or a brokered transaction.
I do agree that the hunt is part of the fun and once you find the "right" one, it will be worth the time. For me, driving up and meeting a fellow enthusiast and learning about the car and its history beats standing in a showroom with a guy who simple just wants to sell you what he has on the lot. It may take a little longer, but the hunt is part of the fun.
Price? comes down to the car and how bad you want it and what the seller is willing to let it go for, simple negotiations. IMO, I would rather pay a little more for what I want then sacrifice my standards for a great deal.