Buy used. There's not many bikes in that price range that "I" would want that would be worth upgrading. One bike in that range is the DK General Lee 24" (cruiser) that I recently purchased about a month ago. The frame is full cromoly, not just main tubes. It's a great BMX-style bike for campus cruising. That said, I'm now in the market for a 20" for more agressive riding. Like you, I'm getting into BMX after a years long hiatus.