All good opinions so far.

I would not get a recurve shorter than 60" with 64" being preferred
I would not go shorter than 64" on a longbow with 68" being preferred.

You need a good forgiving bow to start with. The longer the better. As for what bow to buy, I would only buy a good quality bow. If you spend $500 on a good used bow in 1 year when you are ready to step up you can sell it for close to what you have in it.

This forum is a great place to ask questions and get answers. I would still try to find someone local to shoot with. The knowledge needed to become good is alot. Also it is much more fun to shoot with fellow stickbow shooters. They can also help you find a bow and the right arrows and accesories.