Sorry, but there is no "right" answer to your question. It is 100% personal preference. If you get a decent response, there will most likely be many, many differing opinions on this topic. Here's mine.

The ARFs have improved significantly over the years. Personally, I'd start with something like a Hangar 9 Alfa or SIG LT-40. You can get the Alpha 40 for around $280 RTF. They fly good and have decent components (IMO). The only downside is that the radio (Quattro) is a little basic and won't take you very far into the hobby.

If you still want to assemble something and you don't mind spending a little extra money--look at the LT-40 or a SIG Kadet Senior. They're ARFs, but you'll still have to assemble the plane and install the engine and radio gear. A real pro here is that you can get a decent mid-level computer radio that you can use with many planes down the road. Something like a JR 7202, JR 8103 or even a 2.4Ghz Spektrum!

If you just think you'll like building, I'd say go ahead and get a kit and start building. While you're in the process of building, get ARF or RTF to learn to fly on. This allows you to get comfortable with flying and gain some confidence before you fly your pride and joy. Look for an ARF/RTF that has similar engine and servo requirements to the plane you're building. That way, once your kit is framed up and covered, you can just transfer the engine and radio gear over from the ARF/RTF. Then sell the ARF/RTF at the next swap meet.