One of the things to be aware of when buying a sewing machine, is that the warranty is frequently only with the dealer where you bought it. Ask about this before you buy. It will be a pain for you if you have to box a machine up & send it across country to get it fixed when there is a local dealer right down the road or across town from you.
I know several people who bought sewing machines at the International Quilt Festival in Houston and found that not all their local dealers provided warranty service for the machines, even though my friends bought a better warranty for the machine. After mentioning that at the Brand Booth the next year, they were told that even though the Brand wanted the local dealer to service & warranty the machine, they could not require them to so. Also, I like Brother machines - My local dealer told me to call him regarding the price anyone quoted me on a machine and he would try to match it.