good for you!!! Get the best machine you can afford...it doesn't have to have all the goodies. I prefer to buy a machine from a local dealer, who offers lessons, help, and repair for the future. I'm not a big fan of buying one at Walmart, they change machines all the time. and you won't get help from anyone at that store.
But, my favorite thing on a machine is auto tension, and the wonderful feature of needle up/down. Great for pivit points. Hope this helps.