RE: Balsa Vs. Foam
This is really a matter of opinion. How serious do you plan to get? Do you want to stick to small, electric planes that you can fly in a park or move up to larger planes where you will need to join a club?
If parkfliers are all you're looking for, I would stick to foam - at least until you have learned the basic skills. A slow flying foam plane is less likely to get damaged and repairs are usually easier