For the dough go with a hardtail.
But first...
Think about the type of terrain on the trails around you. Here in Mo everything is easily doable on a hardtail. A full suspension is definitely more comfortable on our rocky rooty terrain but our relatively short, sharp uphills are best on a hardtail unless you have one of the upper-end full suspensions that all but eliminate pedal bob. Personally the hardtail has suited me fine all these years, even on the different terrain of other states such as CO, UT, NC, etc.
You may choose to wait and save for a good full suspension.
Talk to not just one, but several different shops about what would best serve your purpose and budget and then test as many of those bikes as you can. Kona's been mentioned, also Specialized, Trek, Gary Fischer, Raleigh and I'm sure many others. Fit fit fit, as someone already mentioned.
As for wet and sloppy conditions, I don't know about your area but we stay off muddy trails-they would soon be ruined were we to ride on them. You may not have the types of erosion issues we have around here, though.
Best of luck finding your mountain bike and welcome to the world of dirt!