Thought of a couple other things to consider.

I make mostly straight shots, but have been making caps lately.

Movable steam wand
My steam wand is on a ball and joint, so you can move it around. Doesn't seem like a big deal, but it's much more convenient to be able to purge the wand into the drip tray, and not have to have a cup around to purge into before you start steaming.

Volumetric dosing
My hx has 4 volumetric dosing buttons. For straight shots, you can pretty easily tell how much volume you have in a little cup. When brewing into a large cup for a cap, it is much harder to tell. You can (and should) watch the shot to see when it blonds. But, being able to push a button, and know that the shot will stop at the right volume is useful (to me) when making caps. It also frees you to go steam milk while the shot is going.

Randy

Thank you all again for your advice! Their were quite a few contenders around the $1k mark and admittedly a hard decision for someone who has never pulled a shot I however found a great deal on a used Pasquini Livia 90s that I couldn't pass up. Should arrive next week! Now to get a good tamper,knockbox, weight scale,cleaning supplies,crappy coffee(oh wait I have that )to practice with and most important some good coffee!! Oye $$$