There are plenty of craigs list bikes in your area, that's for sure, and some of them will be pretty good too. Unfortunately, people have very misguided opinions on how much their used gems are worth, but sometimes you can get lucky.

You can always pick up something like a last-year's-model Specialized Allez on sale. You're probably looking at just under a grand for something decent new, but you could live with that bike for quite a while. Cannondale CAAD 9 and 10 bikes are always very popular in that price range as well. Both will serve you well if you decide to race.