Hi Deborah,
I would strongly suggest that you don't get a new Singer. When they come into the shop for repairs, we cringe. We cannot fix them so they will stay fixed. You will get the same problems over and over again. The lower-end Brothers are just as difficult. The higher-end Brothers seem to be pretty good. A lot of people are getting Janomes and really liking them. If you can find a used Bernina or Pfaff, or even those old Kenmores with the oscillating hook system (those are gems!). Try to avoid the new machines with drop-in bobbins. When something goes wrong with a drop-in bobbin, there's not a lot you can do to fix the problem. And try to get a machine that doesn't limit you to 3 zig-zag stitches, with no variations.
I hope you find a good machine that will be just what you need.