Three of my friends have Janome's and love them - don't recall which model. One bought it at the end of the season and really got a good deal. I have 3 Bernina's - one I bought second hand from a lady who upgraded. It hardy ever cools down. I oil and clean it after every 3 bobbins. I love all my Bernina's and my little Janome.

Depending on how much you value a local dealer, today and tomorrow could be a great time to buy a machine. Personally the local dealer was a big thing for me, but given some of the pricing out there, I could get over it.

I saw this today: http://www.joann.com/brother-pc660la...prefv1=Product

JMoore mentioned the Janome 3160. I bought a used one a couple years ago, and love that this little machine has needle up/down, and the auto thread cutter, and can be used for quilting. It is on the smaller side for quilting large projects, but is lovely for the price. I think you can get a new one on sale now for close to your budget. If you later decide to get a larger machine, the 3160 will still be useful.