I would look at the 24 to 30 hp classes of compact tractors. Given you said a 5' cutter for cutting grass, I'm assuming you are talking about a "finish mower" if you go as high as 30hp you could go up to a 6' finish mower. In the lower hp range you have a lot of choices. In the smaller frame sizes, and all at about 24hp, you might want to look at JD 4115, Case/Farmall DX24, New Holland TC24 and Kubota B7610. If you'd prefer larger & heavier frame tractors, those can be had from Mahindra (28hp) and Kioti (25hp). The chinese made Jinma (sold under various brand names) has a 25hp machine, it typically comes with AG (R1) tires, it will liekly be the absolutely lowest priced new tractor you will find, take a look at the Chinese forum to see what users feel about their machines. From the budget standpoint, the Mahindra and Kioti may be the lowest priced national brands, Kubota is probably slightly more expensive, the John Deere, Case and New Holland will probably be slightly more expensive but as pricing is often VERY regional, you may find pricing to be different in Louisiana. The lightest tractor of the group will be the Kubota, given your very soft ground it might be an advantage to go with a very light tractor.
Understand that each tractor has its own characteristics and some are better at some things and others are better at other things based on their designs. For a mowing tractor, it is hard to beat a lightweight Kubota, but they not the lowest priced machines.
As you planning on getting a front end loader then a heavier tractor often has more capacity than a lighter tractor (although that is not always true it is a reasonable generalization).
If you are planning on running implements like tillers, bushhogs, etc then PTO (power take off) horsepower becomes an issue and you'll want to make sure that you have enough PTO HP to run implements that are wider than the rear wheel width of your tractor. When you wrote a 5' cutter for mowing, if you mean a bushhog/rotary cutter, then I'd go to a 30hp tractor, there are lots of choices.