Justin, I was in exactly your same position about a year ago.... Only I had less money...
The best bang for the buck by far is this one.... The Nikon D40... Hell, I did so much research that I can even direct to the best place to buy it.... I still have the cheat sheet.... (It's almost fkn poetic that you should ask... I've done all your work for you)....
Call a guy named Eldar at Photocraft.... (703-250-5555)... The camera should cost about $399 and you can even buy the kit complete with lens, battery and everything for another $75- 100 bucks....
If you don't believe that I know wtf I'm talking about, here's a very popular website of a well known California photographer who shares his knowledge with camera buffs on the web from rookie to pro.....
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/recommended-cameras.htm
Trust me on this, bro..... This is all you need to know.....
D