Is it possible to get started with 50k cash? Do I need to save more? Feeling stuck

[Sean Haran]

Hello! I'm an aspiring investor and feeling very frustrated/stuck. I'm making about 200k+ per year. My goal is to build a portfolio that provides as much income as possible within the next 5 years, so I am thinking STR. I have about 50k set aside that I'm willing to sink into my first deal. Ideally it would be less cash out of pocket but even at that budget I have been really struggling to figure out how to start. It seems like nothing cash flows unless I do a STR, and decorating an Airbnb alone eats up a large chunk of my cash. I have a good income so not desperate for immediate cashflow, but markets with high likelihood of appreciation seem like they've gotten so expensive that I won't even be able to make the 20% down with my 50k budget. Just feeling very frustrated and stuck. Any pointers would be much appreciated as I feel like I'm just losing time twiddling my thumbs on the sidelines. I live in Los Angeles so I'm mostly looking out of state. I have the time to manage a str I just am lost as far as where to go. Maybe I just need to work another 6-9 months and save up another 50k so I have more to put into the deal?

Thanks in advance