Advice/Ideas/Options for boat purchase

[Ditch Leroi]

The Sailboat Project
My overall plan: I plan on purchasing a project boat in the next 2-3 years and then allotting 4-6 months to make her sea worthy。
I would appreciate any opinions ideas etc in regard to what I have written below, nothing is set in stone as far as what is within my budget. I am more than happy to hear different thoughts and am glad to gain knowledge and insight. I would much appreciate your help recreating my plan and accomplishing it. Much of the plans success relies a lot on my personals skills (ones I possess and ones I will gain through experience and study) to complete the boat and my ability to choose: quality surveyors, a good boat with potential, sound workers that will be doing the work that I am not qualifed to do persistence and the desire for the freedom, of the seas.

Things I am aware of: There are some good non-project boats out there that can be cheaper in the long run compared to project boats. But I am a “start from scratch” (or as close to as budget allows) type of person I want to know the insides and outs of the boat, I want to be familiar with her.

What I am leaning towards now and why:
Length: 45 ft
Why: comfortable cruising size
Things I am aware of: more boat more maintenance, higher upkeep costs
Keel : Full keel
Why: Strength, shallower draught compared to the other option that I am looking at -fin-keel. I plan on going to uncharted waters. Feel at ease that when: she is hauled she will not have to rely strongly on the pads and if I ran her aground.
Things I am aware of: can be heavier and less maneuverable than fin keel.
Hull Material Steel
Why: Strength, personal preference, I prefer working with metal over glass and don’t feel: wood, aluminum or ferro-cement is an option. I feel I would prefer working with rust opposed to osmoses.
Things I am aware of: importance of the initial coats (interior and exterior) for: rust deterrent, hull longevity and ease of maintenance.
Rigging: factional rigged sloop
Why: ease of sailing, simplicity
Things I am aware of: less sail options.
What boats I have been looking at: 45 ft range Bruce Roberts
Why: Price, and availability, the boats I have looked at have been striped in the inside or unfinished, so I would be more able to see hidden problems.
Things I am aware of: home built boats can have many short comings such as poor: welds, paint/zinc/epoxy application, material used, inexperienced ideas or designs.
What I will be doing with it: Cruising many destinations on the seas. No singular venues. Destinations of interest: Island hoping, south pacific, blue water, open seas, coastal, northern and southern latitudes and the Med.
How many people will be sailing it: For the most part 2. But I would like her to have 6 comfortable berths.
My skills (in order of expertise): woodworking, mechanical, plumbing, metal work, electrical
Budget: $50,000

A boat similar to this one is what I have in mind: Bruce roberts 44 Pics pictures by jacerabe - Photobucket

I was weary of the bilge rust and the fin-keel
Overall things I am weary about with my choice of boat so far:
A.Initial coats/sealings how to tell how well they were applied and with what material.
B. I don’t mind having a slower boat I am not out for speed/racing. But I certainly don’t want an unmaneuverable slug like motor sailor!! I would like to rely on the motor as little as possible.
Random info: I would like to have a sailing dinghy.