What would be your advice/first steps to a new investor?

[Vincent Sottile]

I've been investing in the stock market for almost a year now and want to get into rental properties next. I know nothing about real estate but do have some ideas, mostly from listening to the BPM podcast. I plan to read the books they've suggested and figure this would be a good place to start. 

     One idea I've had  for a first rental property is to buy a vacation home/condo in Florida that I could start renting through AirBnB etc. for the rest of the year. You can let me know if this is a good way to get started or an absolutely terrible idea- I won't be offended.

Any advice/first steps/ resources would be greatly appreciated! I am new to the bigger pockets website and will definitely start reading as much as possible but let me know if there is an exceptionally good place to start! Thank you.