ShoNuff, It really comes down to what type of action you are looking for and how much you can afford to spend. If you are used to a pump action then that is definitely the way to save some money. I don't know all the details of ssternadel's experience, but from the people I have talked to the Benelli Nova is a lot of gun for a relatively small amount of money. I do know you can get a Remington 870 Express for less than $300, and they will last forever if you take care of them. The Browning BPS costs a little more, but it is another solid choice (And because it has bottom ejection it does not matter if you are a lefty).
For a semi-auto I really like the looks of the Franchi I-12. They are owned by Beretta just like Benelli is, so they are using the exact same operating mechanism as the SBE (just scaled to take the 3", not the 3.5".
The Benelli M2 uses this design also, but it will cost you about $300-400 more to get the Benelli name on the side of the gun. If you have never used a pump before, I would recommend staying with a semi-auto. I always used S.A.'s until 2 years ago, and when I got my 870 I found myself forgetting to pump the action. This caused me to miss at least one deer. However, if you have used a pump gun or maybe a lever-action rifle in the past then this might not be a problem for you.