You do not understand how these Jeeps rust out, or the ubiquity of frame repairs in the Northeast. This is not a 12k Jeep down South, where you do not have to worry about rust. This is a 12k Jeep in the North. The TJ's had a defect where water, dirt, salt, and debris would get caught in the frame rails thanks to no drain holes and rot the frame out in very specific locations. The Jeep can otherwise be perfectly clean.
As others have said, the best option is for a Northern buyer to travel South and spend an equivalent amount of money on a Jeep with a rust-free original frame. Or you can pay the same for a professionally capped frame up North and not have to deal with the hassle of travel. But trust me, the market for repaired frames in the Rust Belt is very real, very expensive, and understandably absurd-sounding to folks in the South and West.
