Welcome to the road biking side of the sport! I bought a Trek 7.5 FX last month for my commute. I spent the money on a better model, and have to put off the fancy bag/clothes, etc. I felt better getting the better model up front (instead of the 7.2 or 7.3) instead of wishing I had later.
I hope you have a good LBS to buy from! They can make all the difference...