There's no such thing as cheap aviation there is less expensive ways to approach it, homebuilt vs. factory is one way to significantly reduce the cost of operation, Robinson as opposed to Bell in the 4 seater catagory trubine vs piston, etc. Pistons are always less expensive to operate then pistons unless your talking about very old read expensive to insure helios and then its a close horse race. In the 4 seater catagory if you compare Bell Jetranger vs Robinson R44 the 44 is almost sooooo much less to operate and is as fast if not faster then the JetRanger, sure it does'nt have the smell or cool sound of the JetRanger, or a lot of the amenities included in the Bell, but its a significantly less money to own and operate. Sure the hangers are about the same price, but the insurance and fuel are sure a lot more money, as are all the other costs associated with operating and ownership. Inexpensive does not equal cheap in aviation.
As I said previously choose wisely and do the math on each one you are considering before signing on the dotted line. P.S. There are a few companies that specilize in helping people acquire helicopters like Bowers and others, a very good investment when you consider how complex the purchase of any helicopter is, they handle the pre-purchase inspection and hold your hand thru title insurance, etc, as I said a very wise invenstment on anyone's behalf who's considering the purchase of a new or used helicopter. Try the following link.....
www.bowerhelicopter.com