Tax shelter schemes, partnerships with foreign partners and accounts, partnerships with hundreds of members, returns with blatant mistakes, entities in questionable businesses, like gambling, drugs, online video sales, escort services.

At any rate it is possible, but depending on your appraisal it could be a gamble

As a result, I would spend more time trying to understand who they are partnering with than anything else.  

If you are going to focus on listings only list ones that are priced well to sell before spending your money.

I also don’t have a problem spending the money to fight for this.

But to me that would be a spending problem, not an income problem. 

:Syndication multi-family investments are riskier and have less upside than gambling in Las Vegas.

I don't like to gamble on rent appreciation.

If you are setting aside funds for capex, taxes, insurance, or other expenses that don't occur monthly, transfer those funds to Savings each month and hold them there until it's time to spend them.

I think it's a gamble for someone 2000 miles away - could do well or badly.