I guess the question is what are the minimum qualifications you would consider for the ferry pilot, what type of plane needs to be ferried, what is its condition and is it IFR certified and what is your timeline to have it done.
A ferry operation is likely to charge you the $5k but of course they have experience in the long haul movement of planes, will handle all the details/logistics of the move, have their own insurance and probably even have extensive time in the make/model. They would also probably be more willing to fly something that might require a special issuance permit* or otherwise not in the best condition and of course they are probably the most available option in getting the plane moved quickly.
Moving down the list, you could find an independent commercial pilot to fly the plane for you. You could probably find someone who'd be willing to do it for anywhere from expenses up to a couple hundred bucks a day plus expenses (ultimately depends on the pilot, plane and trip) which would probably be about half the price of the ferry operation but they may not have the time in type or their own ferry insurance. You also are probably less likely to find someone willing to fly a plane needing a special issuance permit* and/or do the leg work to get the special issuance permit issued. Since ferrying planes isnt their full time gig, they might not be available to move the plane as soon as you would like.
Last, since it seems you intend to accompany the plane, you might be able to find a private pilot looking to time build willing to fly the plane with you and split the expenses. This would be the cheapest route but is also going to offer you the least experienced pilots and protections and may not meet your own needs/deficiences (i.e. they might not have any more experience with long cross countries or working the ATC system than you do). It is also the most questionable legally since the FAA, though not spelled out in the FARs, has regularly found that conditioning the use of the aircraft (that it be relocated) may allow flight time to be classified as compensation which violates 61.113.
Finding a ferry operation or independent commercial pilot shouldn't be that difficult and could be as easy as posting an ad on the various online outlets (barnstormers, PoA, trade-a-plane, etc) looking specifying your needs and requirements.
II'm sure you could find some volunteers/bids without any additional information but anyone you'd likely want to involve is going to want to know some more details regarding what they are getting themselves into.
So what are some of the details of the proposed trip? I know you mentioned Fairbanks but didn't sound like that was your ultimate planned destination... and we dont know anything about the plane or where its located in AZ or how soon you want moved.
*Note: Since the flight path from CONUS to AK crosses into Canada, it may not be legal to fly on a special issuance permit.
