I'm going to make a fresh suggestion for the OP.
Catalina 22' is a great
boat for his purposes IMO. I have a friend who wanted to do exactly what he wants to do and bought a
Hunter 19'. For whatever reason she didn't like it, and had it
for sale within 6 months.
What a bother.
You say there's a marina on your lake. Go to the marina manager and find out who has this type of boat.
Network with them. The people I know who have this size of boat love them dearly and are excited to show them to others -- and take people out on them. I think all you have to do is get the Tom-Toms going, and you'll get to sail on a number of them. Sailors are so friendly and gracious for the most part!
AND ... then, when you do get your boat -- even if it's a month from now --- you'll have a little experience under your belt, and even that small exposure will greatly enhance your experience and shorten (and flatten) your
learning curve.
There may be other
marinas within, say, 90 miles of you. You could have a lot of fun sampling other people's small boats, and you'd be more likely to buy something that is a good compromise for you (they're all compromises, by the way, no matter how big they get).