I was in your exact position just a little over 1.5 years ago Eric. I made the choice to wait and it worked out for me quite well. I decided to wait it out just for a little while longer, and I eventually merged with a new company and then was able to obtain my own servers. However, because of fair sucess, I was on the right track to buying into my first server without losing money and risking trouble.

I know that it's frustrating not having full control over your own server, but you need to make certain that you can afford the move both financially and securely. I'm going to let you in on a bit of a secret, all these places that claim managed aren't in most cases. You'd have to upgrade the management plans or spend a lot more in most cases for either an upgrade in service, or your own admin. Honestly, I recommend the latter route where you can purchased a box from SM (http://www.servermatrix.com) and pick up a decent admin for $50/month. I have two I can recommend that provided good service for the price back when we hired a few out.

You'll learn, or probably already have learned that just about everything you do in business is a risk. With this knowledge also comes the ability to weigh situations and pick the one that has odds in your favor. With the dedicated server option, are you certain that you won't fall flat on your face? Can you handle the load of probably paying a fairly larger sum as compared to what you pay now? Answer this questions and that will let you know about where you stand.

Finally, if you're unhappy with your current provider, you can always find a new one. There are many great companies out there, you just have to find them.