Here's my suggestion...made many times before but I think it bears repeating. Make yourself a spreadsheet or list of what your 'must haves' and 'wants' are. Go for the gusto on this list. Don't think about budget. THEN, once you have your list of 'needs vs wants' are, consider your budget. Figure out what options fit in your budget. THEN, go test drive the machines in your budget at various dealers. See how you feel about the dealer's in general and ask to speak to the resident repair person...unless you already have one you deal with.
I love the repair guy at my local dealer. I'm ok with the dealer themselves. And I LOVE my Viking. But I had done the above research prior to purchasing my machine. Had also dealt with the repair person independent of my current machine so I knew what I was getting with him irrespective of the machine I ultimately purchased.
It's a tough journey...take your time if you can. Or, look at some other vintage Singers if you're not looking for deco stitches. Then again, some of them can be jems as well.