Thanks again for everyone's thoughts. I pulled the trigger on a Cannondale Super X hi-mod carbon frame that comes with some nice tubular cross rims. The Redlines were hard to find as a full bike, and I just didn't have the time for such a project. The Specialized were not as good of a deal. I also looked into (longed for) a Focus Mares, but they were out of my price range. In the end, I went with the Cannondale for a) price point (which also allows me to spend a bit of money on a nice set of road rims), b) ease of finding them used, and c) a slight preference for cross performance (because I do plan to ultimately add a tt/tri bike to the stable for triathlons). Also, based on what I was reading, the Cannondale seemed to have the best geometry for my body build (long legs and relatively short torso). In case it helps others, I'll come back and let you know how it all goes once I get out on the bike in both a cross race and a hard road ride. I'm going to consider changing over to a set of mini-vs from the stock cantis depending on how it rides in a cross race. If it is like my Kona Jake, I'll definitely be doing something different in re brakes. Hopefully, I won't (too strongly) regret not having discs a year from now.
I too was on the same boat. Was looking at a specialized and/or Giant. I went with the Cannondale!