I agree with others about the hoop and screen sizes. You will want to make blocks from 12-20" if you are keen, and the less rehooping you can do, the better.
Perhaps your local dealer knows of someone who has upgraded their machine and is looking to sell an older one, you can pick them up quite often, and they are like cars - take them out of the showroom and the price drops drastically. Many ladies upgrade as soon as a new model comes out.
I bought 2 of my Brothers as used machines, and haven't looked back, and also have a Brother 4000 new. The reason I mention your local dealer is they would offer you lessons and classes moreso than if you had another brand of machine, and can tell you how many hours work it has done and any service info as well.
I also have the Hoop-It-All setup for my 4000, which would be worth looking into, but they are not made for all machines. This is a hoop with a 14 1/2" sewing area, and I can turn it to use on 4 sides, and not just 2 like the normal hoops. just a bit of extra info.