Start with BiggerPockets Ultimate Beginners Guide (free).

Ultimately, it's a lot of hoops to jump through and the cost may not necessarily be aligned with your plans. 

Start by reading the Ultimate Real Estate Investing Guide: https://www.biggerpockets.com/guides/ultimate-real-estate-investing-guide/introduction2.

Ultimate result - we passed.

The definition includes, but is not limited to: Negotiating, promoting, or advertising the sale, exchange, purchase, or rental of real property, or the granting or acceptance of an option to sell, exchange, purchase, or rent an interest or estate in real estate or a time share.

The best way to meet syndicators who do Rule 506(b) Offerings is at live events like @Gino Barbaro's Multi-family Mastery, REMentor's Ultimate Partnering, or Joe Fairless' Best Ever Conference.

I've looked at a few properties and used excel models to input the numbers and do the calculations but ultimately none of them made investment sense.

And you've joined one of the best communities for all things real estate investing.1️⃣ Download this ultimate beginner’s guide: https://assets2.biggerpockets.com/uploads/user_file/file_object/1694/UBG_2018.pdf2️⃣ Read BP beginner books on investing: https://store.biggerpockets.co...Also, read Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill 3️⃣ Subscribe to BP podcasts or YouTube channel and watch their webinars. 4️⃣ Ask questions here on the forums.5️⃣ Visit (join) a local (and legit) real estate investment association.6️⃣ Consider joining a BP bootcamp: https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-investing-bootcampsI wish you all the best in your investing journey!

I am partnering with a local animal shelter to do content one day promoting the puppies and my own place in one. 

Start by reading the Ultimate Real Estate Investing Guide: https://www.biggerpockets.com/guides/ultimate-real-estate-investing-guide/introduction2.