Get the biggest embroidery area you can afford. I have a 9x12 hoop on my Brother, but it will only stitch a design up to about 7.5 inches by 10.5. Sound big enough, but there are patterns from Hoop sisters that I want to do in an 8 inch that are impossible to do in my hoop.
They all cut the jump stitches these days so that's a no-brainer.
With the Brother I have to use a separate thread stand to accommodate the cone spools of thread. Will that matter to you?
Is it easy to operate and do you have a sewing center that will give you lessons? I thought I could read the manual and figure everything out. Nope! I still don't know half of what this machine will do and it is 15 years old. About time for a new one and it will be one from a local shop that I can take lessons from.