Hi Klektik,
Not sure if you were able to find a longboard already but I have had good experiences with Sector 9 and Santa Cruz longboards. Depending on what types of riding styles you're looking to pursue, you can potentially get a fairly good beginner longboard for about $100 - $150. There are even longboards just for cruising/transportation that are available for less than $100.
If I were you, I would first ask myself what do I intend to do with my longboard? Knowing what types of riding you want to pursue with your longboard can really help you significantly in terms of narrowing down the options.
There are plenty of other things to take into account for the different types of riding styles. I've wrote about it in great detail on my blog at
longboardhub.com/I have also done tons of research to help beginners pick out the best longboard that suits their riding preference. It's a lot for me to type, so I hope you'll head on over there if you wish to get more information.
Anyway, I hope my thoughts help and don't stop longboarding :)
Cheers,
Michael