Howdy and welcome, from Texas!
I recently replaced my 35 year old Kenmore, with a Janome. Like you, I was a bit overwhelmed by the multitude of machines, so I did lots and lots of research. Since you're working within a set budget, you may have better luck looking at gently used machines, from which people have "traded-up." If you buy one of these, get it from a dealer and make sure you get some sort of warranty with it.