ORIGINAL: CafeenMan
You should build your first trainer. The reason is that when you advance more you'll need the skills you learn from previous building experience. A trainer is tolerant of building errors, but a more advanced plane isn't.
You'll get to the point where you can tell the difference between a straight plane and one that isn't.
If you wait to build until you get to the point where you're flying these kinds of planes, then you'll be behind the curve. Also, even if you fly nothing but ARF's, it still helps to know how to build a plane for times when you need to make repairs.
- Paul
This is very sage advice and I agree with it 100%.
Good advice is to build your first trainer. Yes, you will have more of yourself invested in it. No pain, no gain. It will not take you any longer to learn to fly one that you build or one that you buy ready-to-fly unless you count building time. Millions of people learned to fly with planes they built so anyone who tries to tell you that you can't do it or makes other discouraging remarks about it should be ignored.
If you learn to build properly you will actually enjoy building as many of us have done. I can tell you for a fact that the guys who build their first plane and see it fly for the first time get a lot more satisfaction from it than the guys who buy ready-built airplanes.