You will probably get better advice if you define how you will use the boat.
You have not said if you plan to trailer it a lot or keep it in a slip. If you are trailering here are some boats to think about. Do you need/want an enclosed head with flush toilet? How much time will you actually sail or do you like the idea of sailing to a secluded cove, dropping anchor and making the boat home for a long weekend? Some people like to SAIL and some like to GHUNKHOLE. And some want to do both.
There is a guy on this forum named
@Sumner who has done extensive mods to his Mac 26S and has sailed it all over the place. He has some nice links to his mod pages off of any one of his postings. You should look over his pages.
Everyone has their own personal likes and dislikes. I am rather fond of the Mac 26S or 26D. I also like my Hunter 26 and I like the Catalina 250. But I am a trailer sailor and all of those boats meet my need for sailing performance, comfort at anchor, shoal water ability and trailer-ability.
And in the trailer sailor category, my favorite pocket cruiser is the Rhodes 22. But I have sailed a Mac 22 all up and down the NC coast and as far out as Ocracoke Island several times and that is about as low of an entry point as you can find.
Compac also makes some nice pocket cruisers.
YMMV