I've seen a lot of people mentioning reading books and soaking up knowledge to start.

Well, this my opinion, if you like unpredictability, constant change and people/contractors with no regards to you or your property then "YES" flips and STRs are the way to go...LOL....I love it!!! 

If each property costs $200,000 and your only acquisition cost is a 25% down payment, you will need $850,000 (17 × $200,000 × 25%) in savings, an almost impossible amount for most people.

I am brand new to this app, and wanting to connect with people who have done wholesaling with minimal money of their own involved. 

It sounds like you might be in the situation I'm in: buying a vacation home that I plan to use as a STR when I'm not using it so that other people can help pay my mortgage.

.#2  MINDSET:  Just like some people will NEVER become real estate investors regardless of time, money, related profession, - MOST people will never become real estate investors.   

I know many people who own real estate that are not citizens of the US.

That shows real estate can be possible for anyone; in my opinion, I know everyone has unique and challenging situations, but in principle, anyone who can follow some basic budget fundamentals can save up enough for a down payment.Grateful BiggerPockets continues to bring more people into the industry!

Things just require more ongoing expenses percentage wise out of state because you have to pay people to do everything for you and you will have a longer time building relationships with vendors even when getting decent referrals. 

I feel sorry for the people losing everything in the fires , insurance will go up .But I wish I was the guy  driving this bulldozer ;t=162s