New HF rigs are not cheap these days,it is very common to spend $1000+ for a basic radio...for some of us just dont have that kind of money to drop on a radio...so you might want to look at a used radio....if you take your time and do your homework there are nice used radios out there to be found for as little as $300 if you run into a really good deal,but expect to spend $400 to $600 and maybe a bit more ....
Look at all your options out as to what features you would like to have and go from there....a built in tuner,or outboard tuner,plug and play or use a power supply..straight HF,hf + 6 meter,or HF + 6 meter,2 meter and 440 ....memory channels .... ease of operation... just to name a few options to look at
I done a little digging in my area and I found a very nice HF + 6 meter rig for a good price...and I got to test it out before I bought it.....that was a huge factor as to me buying the radio I did,
I spent a bit more than I wanted to,but knowing the person that I bought it from as well as having other hams telling me that the equipment the guy sells was always in top shape made it a bit easier to drop what I did on the radio
So dont over look the local area
Hope to catch you on the HF bands soon !!