”I know you said $1000 was around your budget, but I went the route of buying a Stern NIB for my first and only pin.”

Don't think a NIB is in the cards for someone with an $800-$1200 budget ... Best advice is definitely to be patient. You'll need to read up or find someone who knows what they're doing and what to look for. Just because a pin is advertised above your price range doesn't mean you can't get it by showing up with cash, taking a look at the pin and talking the owner down by explaining everything that is wrong with his pin and how much it will take to fix.