I would then spend a year+ months learning and networking.

Cost to acquire is ~100k and I plan on spending an extra 15k on repairs. 

Assuming you did not spend a huge fortune in your purchase for those homes- that money is gone. 

I could just continue working for my restaurant but I also want to spend time with my family more often.

You can easily spend a few hours a week or less due to how automated it is. 

As an agent, I have been seeing insane numbers being offered on properties where there is no way the rents can possibly make sense.I'm curious how people are spending so much on multi-family properties, especially in the current rate environment.

but I feel many syndicators take their acquisition fee and spend it, or immediately reinvest in more marketing, or more head count, or new offices.  

Its why i travel to the Market I spend usually 2 to 3 days my office does a deep dive into MLS stuff..

Where it really accelerates is if you typically don't spend all your monthly earnings and you have money left off after all monthly expenses and that money stays in the HELOC.

Avoid the classic beginner mistake of over-spending on non-necessary over-improvements.