Jim, first and foremost, hang onto your cash awhile, and locate a local astronomy club if at all possible. Go VIEW thru their scopes - there will probably be several (SCTs, Dobs, EQs, etc) See which one(s) you like - and why.

You're not asking too much - but you may be able to get better than you expect, if you take your time. After you know what you want, you can evaluate whether you even CAN build it, or if you want to buy.. etc.