Hello from Soap Lake <wave>
Have you checked online to see what the different companies offer in your price range?
Our most recent purchase was the Babylock Quilt Choice Pro(fessional) in your price range. It came with an extension table, plus push button thread cutter, and the leg that drops down so you can raise and lower the foot. It only has two stitches, forward and backward. Actually, I guess that is just one stitch.
I have been using it on my quilting frame as a quilter, and my sister-in-law uses it for piecing and quilting, just on her table ... if I remember correctly, it also came with a hard case for portability.
Since neither of us cares for the fancy stitches it was a good choice for us.
If I were looking for a new machine, I would want features such as: drop feed dogs, needle left/right, needle up/down, plus all those features above ... I was disappointed that the machine did not have needle up/down, but I got over it (obviously <g>) ...
The Throat of the machine, so important for machine quilters is larger than other machines - - eight high by ten long, inches, that is ...
I bought the machine, sight unseen, which I would not recommend ever again ....
How are the mountains this summer? <g>