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.

[Tyler Gibson]

@Vincent Sottile @Taylor L. is right, do your research if you want to do AirBnB. Florida cities have started to crack down on the sort term vacation rentals. There are some places like up in the panhandle where the local governments support it and welcome it and then there are other areas like the city of Orlando that have strict limitations. Just know the regulations in the area before you buy.