Hey Dillsburg... I'd say welcome to Homebrew Talk, but I'm pretty new to this site, and the hobby, as a whole, myself. I'm also a PA guy, just down the road from you, not quite an hour, in Waynesboro
I can attest to the temperature thing. I got a beginner's brewing kit for my birthday about a year and a half ago and made my first batch, shortly thereafter, in late July/early August. The beer tasted great, at first, but then picked up some off flavors. since then, I've started doing all of my brewing in the late fall/winter/early spring, and leaving the fermenter in a room that doesn't get used all that often so that the room temp probably hovers around 67-ish. even for ale yeasts, a cooler fermentation should result in a "cleaner" taste.
as for the liquid yeast, I've used it in my last two batches and have done a starter with both. From what I've read/heard a starter not only makes more yeast cells, but it makes healthier yeast cells, which ideally, should make a better final product. Now, one of these two batches is in the primary, right now. so I can't say much about it, just yet, but the other one turned out, very well. I am still relatively new to the hobby, so I cant guarantee that it was the yeast starter or just my skills improving, but I know that it made a very nice IPA and I started with an extract kit, as well.
Like a previous poster commented, it's good to start simple and build from there. I try to remind myself of that, all the time.