New3dguy,
I'm very new to 3d printing having just started about 2 months ago, so take my advice for what it's worth (and what you paid for it). I would take a very small amount of money now and get actively involved in 3d printing. Buy an inexpensive kit and build it, use it and learn it. 3d printing isn't something you talk about and ask questions so much as live it and do it... and yes, ask a lot of questions. But as you learn an inexpensive printer you will start to ask more pertinent questions and develop a knowledge base that will pay huge dividends when you are ready to buy your higher level printer. Even an inexpensive printer kit (I have the Makerfarm i3v 10" that runs $600) will be a very useful tool for a long time during your initial learning curve and you most likely will not outgrow the capabilities of the cheaper printer for quite some time as you gain knowledge along the way. I was voracious in lurking on boards, watching videos and doing research for about 6 months before I took the plunge with my first printer purchase and found I learned more in the first week of owning the i3v that the 6 months of research. It seems it's one thing to approach 3d printing academically and a completely different thing to approach it from a builders perspective. I don't think I made a mistake in taking so long in the research phase, but after owning one a short time I think my understanding of 3d printing capabilities and limitations are growing much faster with actually owning one and using one. Just an opinion, but I would highly recommend jumping in and seeing how your research knowledge applies to the real world experience of using a printer. It will allow you to get a jump start on you designing skills as well as you create what you design and learn the different design tools of the trade.