Buy & Hold or Syndication

[Nathan Olds]

Hello all. I am new to the real estate game and am trying to decide between Buy and Hold strategy of multifamily properties and being a passive investor with Syndication. 

I currently own 1 property, a duplex, which I am house hacking. My original strategy was to buy local multifamily properties (Palm Beach county / South Florida) one at a time and buy and hold indefinitely to build equity and have positive cashflow as supplemental income. I have a well paying W-2 job which I am in no rush to quit, both because I enjoy the work and I like having the additional steady income. Recently I spoke with several investors who do syndications and this sounds very attractive because of the passiveness and the risk mitigation. 

A couple questions to start the conversation:

     -How would the returns compare with a buy and hold strategy over 30-40 years and a series of syndications reinvesting the gains over the same time period? 

     -Is it worth it to move from a limited partner to a general partner to a sponsor as I gain experience if I choose the syndication route or just stick to being a limited partner while working a W-2? 

     -What are some additional risks and factors that i should consider with both strategies?