Once you do that, I would get referrals to good brokers/property managers in the area to get their expert opinions from their numerous years in the area.

Bottom line; Brokers need to earn their fee - and if that requires showing the property 20 times a day and drafting numerous contracts and reviewing potential Buyers I feel that should be part of the job... 

Then try to find a job somewhat related to the field, but I would probably lean towards something that is W-2.

I dont really see a disadvantage to investing in the self directed field other than it is not as easy to 'cash out' if you need the funds for something else, which is not always a bad things IF you are investing for the longer term, and that you can not leverage as highly as outside a plan.

Quote from @Roy Fields: Jhon Jackson had my friend and I working our butts off selling us on buying thing that was supposed to help us we spent over $10,000 dollars and got nothing for it and he refuse to give us our money back he is a con artist one of the best. 

On the other hand, apartment syndication offers substantial economies of scale, which seems to be a common transition for many real estate investors, as I’ve heard on numerous podcasts.I would love to hear your thoughts on which route you think I should pursue and why.

I’m eager to connect with like-minded individuals to share insights, learn from each other, and grow together in this exciting field.

Even the gut job properties are listed and go pending very quickly because there is a lot of money to be made in the region.Albany - There is an area in Albany that is convenient to both numerous hospitals and colleges.

If I need to report, but all related fields are 0.

In my field of work, we collaborate with different tax professional all over the country and I personally have a few favorites with various knowledge and insights!