24' will almost certainly be too small for a family of four, especially if it becomes an every weekend thing! Twelve years ago, my wife and I started with a non-air conditioned 24 footer; we moved up to a larger boat with a/c before the season was finished. Took an awful beating on the trade up, but never regretted doing it!
Be warned; if you like the marina lifestyle, you will really, really like it and want to spend every possible minute at the lake. So, best to be comfortable in whatever you buy!
By the way, I don't think Shep's has had the "buy here to get a slip" policy for the last few years.
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