Stace,Keep in mind that REITs will generate ordinary income, taxed at your personal tax rate (W-2) where syndication offers more tax advantaged options in general. 

For example I just bought a bunch of patio homes for about $250k that rent for $2200.   

I have a relationship with the banks and my bankers so they do some things out of the ordinary for me when it comes to lending - which is something a bank can do in commercial banking which is where we're at in real estate.

Real Estate is getting more and more accessible to the ordinary person, and we all benefit when that happens. 

That doesn’t sound like something out of the ordinary.

The agreement says they will return it to you in the same condition it was received so that should be your expectation.As for the dishwasher, you should charge him if the damage would have been discovered by an ordinary tenant.

Would this be through ordinary mortgage brokers?

The IRS has "Ordinary and Necessary" as a guide for what is deductible. 

Some galleria patio homes for $245k that rent for about 2400.

It's not as ordinary as it is for someone to rent a "lower-end-of-the-bellcurve" home, but I know several high earners who have been renting for the past 5-10 years for a slurry of different reasons.