Tom -

Its already been mentioned; but don't overlook the Russia. The
factory-original paint isn't great, but I bought one as my first ship
and it was great! Lightweight, super-simple, can handle up to 240lbs
pilot, and performance better than any Schweizer ship. At about 31:1
a Russia is not quite as good as a Schreder ship (which get between
34:1 and 38:1), but you also don't have to worry about flaps or build-
quality (there's nothing wrong with flaps and most of the Schreders -
which are homebuilts - are great! But if you're not used to flaps
then it might be a stumbling-block). The Russia has automatic control
hookups and much fewer parts to assemble/connect than the other ships
you mention, so keeping it in its trailer is not a problem; with 1
other person I could rig my Russia in about 10 minutes. And the
Russia AC-4 ships were built in the mid-90's, whereas most of the
others in your price range are from the 1960's or 1970's.

Now the Russia does have some drawbacks: [1] Its lighter than a
Schreder ship so I won't penetrate into the wind as well (but the
Russia is better than the Schweizers you mentioned). [2] The Russian
paint tends to yellow and fade pretty quickly (several in the US have
already been repainted with high-quality Poly-Urethane paint). [3]
The fiberglass and foam cores on the Russia were built to be
lightweight - so you can't abuse the ship as it will dent fairly
easily (similar to early glass ships like the Libelle or ASW-15; both
of which are great sailplanes but can't really handle more than about
190lbs in the cockpit). [4] The Russian-made tires can sometimes be
hard to find.

Lastly, the Russia's light weight and very responsive controls make
thermalling a lot easier in weak conditions.

Good luck! Take care,

--Noel
P.S. I echo the advice of others - don't let $1000 or $2000 stop you
from getting the right ship. Wait if you have to, but buying a ship
you don't like or don't fly is waaaayyyy worse than waiting!