Well I think you need to figure out what you want to do with the pistol. Range gun? Safe queen? Carry option? What features do you want, do you not want?
Have you gone and held, at the least, any? Each one will be different. Some sights you will like, some you won't, same with some of the safeties. For me I found out that on my first 1911 that I get I will want an extended thumb safety and since I am already used to a 3 dot sight system I want to find one with sights I like already. You can customize the pistol to your liking but ultimately what is it you are looking for is what you need to ask yourself.
If you want something American made you are limited in your budget. Ruger will probably be the lowest cost, then Remington (think they are considered made in the USA), and then maybe a used Colt or Kimber. After that it goes past your budget. If you are open to foreign made 1911's the Rock Islands get good reviews, at least 90% good reviews. They have a repair center in the US if you should need to use it, and come with a lifetime warranty. Springfields also come with a lifetime warranty and have some nice models that will fit your budget as well.