You are correct that if you have silent partners (LPs), you would need to set up a syndication.  

Is there a way to passively track mortgage rates on 5+ residential apartment buildings?   

List my home for an isurance company who has a relocation service department 

Would that lower our tax liability from other income we receive or no because this is purely RE and not an operating business?

You'll want to take a spreadsheet and create a list of all properties you've purchased...particularly in the last 36 months and include the address, lender, purchase date, either rent you receive or disposition date, how much you sold it for, how much you rehabbed it, etc.

They have a vested interest into keeping everyone happy because it is way easier to keep a client then to go find a new one. 

While with Jeff for 11 months, we have received a total of 2 very small owner distributions with the first one going into someone else's account. 

It will be a 5/1 ARM though.If you want to lock in a 30 yr, but with a little higher costs, I've used LimaOne and Visio in this area. 

Yes, as S-Corp owners receiving W-2 wages, employee deferrals to a Solo 401(k) are subject to FICA taxes (Social Security & Medicare).

A 6%+ annual appreciation rate is decent.