It doesnt get better than this!! Good luck on your search and welcome to the site.

http://peoria.craigslist.org/boa/2562127571.html

Seth,
Welcome to the forum.
You'll find that these guys and girls offer an incredible wealth of knowledge in powerboating.
Last year I was a newbie to the larger boats too.
My kids had grown and we no longer ski'd or wakeboarded like it was when they were younger so I sold the walk through.
What I did when I was in your shoes was determine my priorities.
The abilty to overnight comfortably dictated a berth, head, galley, settee in the salon and heating/cooling on the water. Being a tallish guy I wanted at least 6' of headroom in the galley/head. And equally important was the abilty to enjoy a much higher cruising speed than the average cruiser that would hopefully get into the 60's at top speed and come within my budget.
These requirements eliminated many boats immediately.
I was able to really hone in my search to a much lesser number of models by different mfg's.
I searched for 6 months before finding this site and after joining posted boats I was interested in here to see if members new of the unit.
Several came back as prior boats of members here who after me sending a PM they responded with great intel on the units.

Don't be afraid to post questions to the board, these members are here to assist and glad to do it.
Here's a couple of links that I had early on in my membership while searching.
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/b...questions.html
http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/b...know-boat.html

MOST IMPORTANTLY, this is not a transaction to take lightly.
You can lose a lot of coin and incur major aggravation with yourself if things go sour.
Offer a purchase contract with deposit and subject the vessel to a survey and seatrial. If the seller shows any unwillingness, pass and move on.

Good luck on your search and keep us posted, You will get great advice from those with the best knowledge of all.

See ya,
Kelly

I know the ad isn't very descriptive but what about something like this for the sake of discussion?

http://denver.craigslist.org/boa/2539410187.html

Man I would take a ride and look at that Sutphen that OL40SVX posted. Thats a real solid boat with all the goodies in your price range. Would be a great boat for Lake Michigan also.

That Baja would be a good entry level boat into the go fast world. I have a 1988 240 sport myself and have been happy with it. Its got the stock 454 mag which has not had any major issues. Just typical type maintenance issues. The biggest issue I have had with my boat is wood rot in the interior. Baja did not use pressure treated plywood in the construction of the interior and the foam will hold moisture, causing the wood seat, hatch and side panels to rot over time. I just about replaced all the parts on mine with new pressure treated outdoor wood and stainless parts. As for the performance, it tops out a hair under 60 with a 23 pitch clever prop and light load. Its a heavy boat with a 5000 lb dry weight. Takes the rough stuff well and is very solid to drive.

The thing to keep in mind, any older boat can have issues. No matter what the make. Some are made better than others, but if they were not taken care of or maintained, they will have issues. As mentioned, look around, aske questions and dont be hesitant to ask someone about their boat if you are out and about. Alot of people love talking about their boats. As mentioned, some good boats in your price range are Baja, Donzi, Wellcraft, Sutphen, Pantera, Formula, Fountain, Checkmate and the list goes on.

Seth-I am in the Denver area and have a 25' Checkmate for sale well within your price range. We can do a sea trial on Cherry Creek or Chatfield.

http://denver.craigslist.org/boa/2572520685.html

www.yachtsurvey.com has some good articles.