Tom De Moor wrote:
If you wanna build, build.

If you wanna fly, buy.

If you wanna design ... then what? (The opine needs to rhyme.)

(From the OP: "I'm looking into educating myself ... then to
either design my own plane....")

The numbers of flying kitplanes in the 'for sale'-departement are just
enormous, some of them are even cheaper than the components.

Why do you suppose they are cheaper? ;-)

Can't really comprehend why somebody puts 10 years of work, 80 kUS$, a
broken marriage in a kitplane, then flies it for about 100 hours and
goes on to sell it for 50 kUS$... in order to buy a new kit.

If that were the norm, it would indeed be a psychological puzzler. But of
course that combo isn't anywhere near the norm.

I bought mine: metal, low-wing, O-200 2-seater. I kinda like it :-)

Good for you! Nothing like owning - except maybe building. :-)