ORIGINAL: davori
Some of the planes I've seen online like the Nexstar is huge. I've also seen some much smaller planes (about 1.5 feet wingspan), are they really that much harder to learn on?
1.5 feet sounds like either a toy or an indoor plane. Some people are happy to start with a toy plane but those things, apparently, have no equipment that you can transfer into a more advanced design.
(oooops, let's not start a discussion about "toys" and "not toys". I am happy to admit that my clumsy aerobatics are a form of "play", as opposed to something that makes a difference for the world in general.)
If you go electric, look at something like 3 feet span minimum (and obviously it must be a high wing trainer). If you go glow, something like 60 inches is a good starting point.
Bigger planes are easier to see and they tolerate wind better.
$400 should equip you OK, whichever way you go. You need to generate a list of your needs and start looking for where to get everything. Try to get some quality, not necessarily more features and bells and whistles.