Next steps would 1) be narrowing down your focus for areas you want to invest (in a general level, B grade neighborhood, etc. and more specifically, cities or neighborhoods where you want to target deals) and 2) Finding your team (agents, property managers, maintenance and renovation contractors, lawyers / CPAs / etc).Attending BP meetups or other investor associations meetups is a great way to find these people.

Putting your money in stocks or bonds Assuming you don't want to spend time looking up and analyzing different companies and various investment grade or junk bonds, and you put the money into an index fund or a mutual fund.

If it is a cold exterior wall a slight ir gap is good for condensation purposes.Any flooring rated for below grade will work. 

Slab on grade homes are often not a problem though.  

It would be better to qualify what you want to find in terms of area grade A,B, C etc.  

- Crime rates- Property Evaluations and Grades- Future City Plans- Schools- Jobs- Growth

For example I created The Ultimate Guide to Grading Cleveland Neighborhoods. 

everything that i want to last for a long time and see abuse, i go after commercial grade first. kind of like the sink drains. i noticed all commercial baths have grid drains instead of stupid pop ups and i have nothing but grid drains. i have never, ever been called for a clogged drain (except laundry tub)

Most investor grade contractors are what I consider the bottom of the GC grade, someone who learned the trade, know some codes just enough for them to pass licensure; sure, there are desperate ones that actually know what they are doing and know code, with a low price, but that's literally one in a million.

But its a JOB if your going to be good at it.. just like owning enough rentals to live off of Is a JOB.. granted you set your own hours.. but unless you own true investment grade income property.. your going to work for your success.. and I continue to work every day.. and am having a blast...