I have looked online and found websites that will sell these units directly to the public. If you are knowledgeable about such things, they are really not that difficult to install yourself.
Of course, you need to run a 220 electrical line, drill about a 3" hole in the wall, set the condensing unit on a pad and attach the lineset. The units come precharged, and the lineset kits are made in such a way so one does not have to deal with brazing, etc. The instructions are easy to follow and clear.
A nice 20 seer unit that also heats in the winter, (a heat pump/A/C unit) goes for about $1000.00 delivered. I was told by a local A/C company that these units are considered "
dehumidifiers so they do not fall into the same category as a normal split system.
Of course, if you had a local A/C company install one of these for you the cost would be around $3,000.
I do NOT expect just anyone to be able to install one of these....but a person skilled in electrical, etc, and if they are comfortable with a project such as this could save thousands doing one day of work.
One of the many sites are
www.acwholesalers.com There you will find helpful videos, etc to assist any DIY'er. If people couldn't do it themselves they would not be in business, so they make sure they are DIY friendly. They have all of the most respected brands, like Mitsubishi, LG, etc.
Frank