Originally Posted by jester_s1

I'm actually going to disagree about building a kit for the trainer. Not that I'm against building, but because of the time of year that it is. Most clubs have their training times during the summer, usually ending when DST ends. If the OP starts building a kit trainer now, he'll probably finish in August and may need to do some tweaking once an instructor has checked it out, putting him actually ready to fly it just about when training is over for the year. An ARF can be assembled and ready to fly in a weekend, allowing him a lot more time to work with an instructor.

I'll agree first with loopdeeloop though. Visit the clubs first. Each club has its own personality, so you want to get started with a group that you like to be around. How welcoming they are to a newbie tells you a lot. If you walk up and half a dozen guys look at you from the corner of their eyes and say nothing to you then a club officer puts forth an effort to welcome you awkwardly, that's a clue that the club is contentious and unhelpful. But if everyone you meet seems genuinely interested in you and willing to take some time to answer your questions and show you around, that's the one to join. Either way, find out what the training times are and what you need to do. Many instructors keep a trainer on hand to help new pilots, so you could possibly get your first flight in this week. Some clubs might ask you to provide fuel or bring your own buddy box. Some might require you to buy all of your equipment first and join before being instructed. Whatever the expectation is though, you need to know it before you do anything else.