Feline Fanatic has given you some awesome advice. I'd add to her's by encouraging you AND your wife to spend sometime on a rented long arm--sometimes quilt shops will allow you time on a machine if you take a "certification" class which teaches you the basics of how to load and operate a long arm. I say this because a dear friend's husband bought an APQS for her (another good brand along with Nolting, Gammill, and Innova and all in the long arm business longer than Bernina)and she HATES to quilt--she's an award winning piecer and has absolutely no interest in long arm quilting. Her husband has decided to use it for charity quilts--but a pretty expensive investment for that. Some people love to quilt (me!) and others preferring piecing and quilting by check! I'd also echo Feline that dealer support and ability to do your own adjustments and diagnosis & repair are VERY important.