One thing to try is keep watching and also posting a "Wanted" on Chicago's Craigslist for any of the Kurt Kinetic fluid resistance or any 1Up trainers. They have the reputation for both being quiet and durable; you might get lucky and find one for under $200.
Minimizing noise is not just what trainer you buy. Other steps include:
- Use a dedicated, smooth, hard rubber trainer tire such as Continental's HomeTrainer tire or Tacx's Trainer Tyre. These are not recommended for use off the trainer (I think they do not grip well on pavement) so unless you really like changing tires, you will want to get a low-cost, heavy, rear wheel dedicated for trainer use or dedicate one bike for use only on the trainer during the off-season. I have the older version of the Continental (yellow/orange rubber) and it qualifies as the most difficult to mount tire I have ever had but they last forever and do not generate black rubber debris on the trainer.
- Acoustically isolate the trainer from the floor by placing the trainer on some plywood with foam rubber or an inflated inner tube between the plywood and the floor.
- Surround the rear wheel with some sound-absorbing material such as carpet remnants or the interlocking dense foam floor mats or such. This also keep small children or pets from getting seriously injured by the spokes.
Get a video screen or reading stand or video game or something to watch or a heart rate monitor and a training schedule because trainers can get very boring very fast. Rollers, on the other hand, keep you more alert (
Link1,
Link2).