Hi andresc39!
I will be building up my first cross bike in a few weeks so while I can't offer you any specific recommendations ( I'm sure you will get plenty of opinions
) I can say the following:
1) The cyclocross style bike is a good fit for your requirements.
2) The Specialized Tricross Sport is in your price range. I am building up a Specialized Tricross S-Works (a bit more expensive) but I can't say how or why the Sport would be better than another brand.
3) There are many bike to choose from (this category is growing!) - I like to make it easy on myself by first choosing the LBS. That and your price range should give you 3 bikes to choose from.