Sewing Machines are like buying a car. A huge investment that needs to last and be reliable for a long time. You know what you are looking for so find some shops and try the machines out. Take a small project with you so you can really get the feel of the machine. Right now if I had the money I would get a Bernina. They tend to hold their value better there is lots of education available for them and the Hands free sewing is a really great feature as well as the BSR (Bernina stitch regulator) for free motion sewing. Sometimes you can get a better machine by buying a trade in as well. So start test driving and see what fits you best.