It was also difficult to assess the heating situation after repairs since tenant refused to provide key to access unit for repairs and/emergencies, citing “privacy and safety” concerns.

I am currently looking more for turn key at this point.

Quote from @Donyea Jenkins: With this loan, do properties have to be "Turn Key" to qualify or can they be used on fixer uppers? 

Proof of funds would be a bank statement or some other document indicating the liquidity you have.

A delinquent tenant on month one is indicative of poor screening. 

After designing over 100 flips in twelve states, here are the key areas in which we've found the best ROI on flips:1.

If the price was right on Turn-key maybe, but probably more of the fixer-upper that can be leveraged later on for additional property or sold for a nice profit. 

The key is not the number of properties.

Building a trusted team is key, so starting that process as you actively search for your market will put you in a strong position moving forward.

As for your Index funds, if you were trading indices such as SPX, you would have the favorable tax treatment accorded to §1256 Contacts:  60% of gains are Long Term Capital Gains, and 40% are Short Term capital gains.