IM pretty much in the same predicament and feel I should buy first to get aquainted with taking it apart and putting it together. Any suggestions as to what brands to look for and which ones to steer away ftom ?
How mechanically inclined are you? Costs aside, If you are good at tinkering on things, then building one is a neat winter project. If, however, you are inclined to accidently punch holes in the wall while hanging a picture, I would suggest just buying one. I have one that I built and one that I bought and the one I built means more to me.
I would avoid ALL polymer lowers, but that's just my opinion.