Lots of good suggestions here. I only have a couple. Find a shop that sells machines so you can sit down and actually do a demo, and that offers free classes to teach you how to use the machine after you have purchased it. You will find that you will feel comfortable with some machines, and not so comfortable with others so trust the feeling you get when you demo a machine. Do not buy the machine that is your second choice. You will regret making that choice every time you sit down to sew on it. If you are looking to quilt on a machine, be sure it has room for the quilting, a higher throat and a longer bed. Good luck! Looking is half the fun!