Nothing wrong with the Norc. Got one for around $600 new. I ran it for 2 years at the 3 gun that I went to. Upgraded as I went along and money was available. Nice thing was I got to find out what worked, and what I liked, and in the end still had under 1K into it. Spending 2K on a gun that somebody else has decided what you need/want on it, and everybody's opinions are different, never made sense to me. A 20" HBAR in SS might be what the pros run, and will shoot MOA all day, but I need something that will hit a 6" target at 50 yards for 99% of the 3 gun that I've shot. A 14" is a lot more convenient, and a 10.5 inch will do what I need.
As a good friend of mine stated, "AR's are Barbie for guys. Dress them all up, and then change when you like". All you are truly buying with an AR is an aluminum lower, everything else can be changed out/upgraded as you want. And no matter how much people hype one brand or another, you can't convince me that there's $500 or $600 dollars more value in one chunk or aluminum over another. You are paying for a name, for the newest "latest greatest" most popular what the latest "star" uses and thinks is best.
Having said all that, if you aren't a tinkerer, or willing to do the work on your own gun to personalize it, there are some recognized name brands (Colt/Daemaco being one of them) that are higher quality and have proven track records. In the end, BUY ONE that you can afford, shoot it, and HAVE FUN. That's the main thing.