There is a 10 Meter in an adjacent marina that i have been eye balling for about a year. I have spoken to multiple people who have sailed on her, they all say that the boat performs incredibly well in winds over 14 knots but not so good in light air. There are a few things you need to look for, the mast step needs to be lifted out of the bilge and seated on a new foot. Some of the boats came from the factory with the chainplates attached to the hull. At some point Pearson issued a credit for owners to have the chainplates moved to an interior bulkhead. I have seen pictures of at least one boat for sale where this has not been done. The boats are priced fairly well, they range from around $8,000 to $28,000. Plenty of good looking boats under $20K.
I would be inclined to get one of the cheaper ones and upgrade it to my liking (add a wheel, re-paint, re-fair bottom, add a bow roller, roller furling, ect). I never have been scared to spend more than a boat is worth. In my opinion it is not an investment it is pure enjoyment and that is priceless.
I am going to wait about 2-3 more years and then think seriously about getting a bigger boat and as of now Pearson 10 Meter is the top contender. I currently own a Pearson 26 OD, i have spent a lot of time and money fixing the boat up. (it is almost a sickness) But at the end of the day it is just two small for my family for more than 2 nights. The 10 meter has enough space to get a shore powered AC unit installed. The boat has enough room for my wife, 2 boys and I to do some week - two week cruises. I also think the boat is safe enough to do some short hopps in the Gulf of Mexico which would get my crusing range out of the inter-coastal. Here is a websight with a ton of information on this boat
http://dan.pfeiffer.net/10m/10m.htm.
