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breinhar is pretty much right on the money. I've bought three cars out of state before. On each of them I made a verbal commitment to buy the car if it was as advertised. I also sent anywhere from 200-1000 non-refundable deposit for the seller to hold the car. I always did this through paypal on a creditcard just for some protection.
On one of them I had them take it to a shop that I trusted on the west coast ($150 fee for inspecting) and the other I had them take to the dealership ($200 fee) and then talked to the service manager who looked it over. Next I flew out and looked at the car myself. Of course these three vehicles were ones I was familiar with so I knew what to look for on them. In my case all three checked out perfectly and I drove them home. But I was preparred to walk away and pay for a flight back home.
As far as titles go, just make sure you get a bill of sale from the owner and the title. Only in one case did I leave without the title (bank had it and we paid his loan off at the bank when I was there and the bank sent me the title directly). You will pay your sales tax and registration (if your state has them) when you get the car and title. If you have a loan through a major bank sometimes they will do that for you.
All in all I don't have a problem doing it. Just be prepared to walk if it's not what you want. Two plane tickets and a deposit aren't worth getting stuck with a car you don't want or isn't as described.
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