Michael:
You will find no shortage of opinions on this forum. But - Considering your budget and age you might consider buying a better glider with a partner. There are lots of nice machines on the market in the $35-$50K range, and there is a lot to be said for sharing the expenses and the fun with a partner. You can support and retrieve each other. All of my first non-club gliders were bought with partners and all of the experiences were good. Today I own one machine myself and another one (abroad) with a partner. Just a thought.
Good luck,
Roy