Thank you for answering my main question.... I have no problem buying the software to program, Ebay prices on 800 radios is pretty cheap. I can get the same radios my departments uses for way less than I could buy a scanner for. Have you done this yourself?
So, the real trick is to know -exactly- what you are buying.
Some of those cheap 800MHz radios are priced that way for a reason.
The older MTS-2000's have issues with the displays failing. They won't do P25. Some of the older versions are not capable of being re-banded, so they get dumped. The newer version can be re-banded, but it's a flash, and you need to be absolutely sure it has it.
MTS-2000's are old radios, so many of them need a lot of TLC. They are no longer supported by Motorola, so parts/support can be an issue. IF you buy one, consider it a disposable radio. Make sure you can send it back if it isn't what the seller says it is. If it breaks, toss it and get a fresh one.
The XTS series are a bit better, but again, you need to be sure the radio has the correct flash code for what you want to do.
The flash code is very important when it comes to trunking systems. Just because a radio model is capable of doing P25 doesn't automatically mean it's got the right flash code to allow it. Re-flashign a radio with a new flash code isn't free.
Also, consider any radio you buy off e-bay is going to need a new battery, even if the seller says "it holds a charge". A decent new battery is going to run you an extra $30 to $40 bucks.
The programming software can be "found" online, but there are legal issues with that. Also, downloading radio programming software from the neither regions of the internet (.ru) comes with a fair share of risks. In some cases, the version of radio programming software you need for a particular radio can be linked to the radio firmware or what version it was programmed with last.
Programming cables can be purchased cheap if you go with after market. Make sure you do some research as there are good and bad ones out there. No need to brick a radio due to going cheap on the cable.
Lastly, some radios can have read, write and read/write passwords on them. Whatever you purchase make sure its ready to go. Do you research on the buyer.