I had a repairman in and got it fixed. it was a broken belt and pump. it cost 272$ (150 in parts, 100 in labour, and then tax) but cheaper than a new one. and faster....
it actually worked out because i had to get a repairman in to look at our stove. I had been putting it off because i didnt want to pay the service call fee. He said that the part to fix our stove would be 400-500$, plus tax and labour, so not worth getting it fixed (stove is 8 years old and cost under 1000$ new). he suggested just waiting it out until it completely breaks.
When the washer broke, my first inclination was go to on the Sears website to look at new washers, but i am glad that i got it repaired. next time it breaks though, i think we will get a more efficient one....
thanks for all your advice. good tip about ebay though, i would never have thought of that.