Denon AVR-3806 would be my first choice for home theater on your budget. Yamaha RX-V2600 would be my second choice. I'm sure others on this forum will recommend receivers from Pioneer Elite or Marantz.
Thanks for the suggestions. I had looked at the Denon AVR-3806 and the 2 new Yamaha's (Yamaha RX-V1700 and the RX-V2700). Haven;t looked into the Pioneer or Marantz. Maybe someone can chime in on those and other possible choices. ANy thoughts on either of the 2 new Yamaha's vs. the RX-V2600?
I'm a big fan of Marantz receivers, but I think I'd strongly consider the Outlaw 1070. It retails for $899. The other I'd consider strongly is the Marantz 7001, I'm not sure what the retail is on it but I think it is under $1000. Marantz sound quality is excellent.
For DIY speakers there are a lot of good companies out there. I built my front 3 and will be building two new rears soon. I went through GR-Research. Go to www.gr-research.com I believe. I built the AV/3 for my front left and right, the AV/3s is my center. I'm going to build a pair of AV/1RS for my rear surrounds very soon.