The more you can articulate that you know how to guide new private lenders through this process and that you are invested, as the borrower, in making sure their principal investment is secure, the stronger you will look to them as a serious real estate investor.

Stronger appreciation driven by a booming job market and growing population. 

That is a stronger market than my area.

And while I think that a properly managed property can lead to a good exit, I think syndications are generally considered to have stronger exit strategies (depends on the investment though, of course).

If all the properties are just in your name then my recommendation would be even stronger and would probably be for 2mm - 5mm limits. 

The local group is going great and getting stronger each month.

We have moved a good amount over the last 5+ years and I wanted to wait until we chose an area that we would make permanent so we wouldn't have issues when moving from place to place.However with that being said my urge for wanting to begin investing is growing stronger and my patience for waiting is fading.

You're stronger as a result of these painful experiences. 

Appreciation in Boston is RIDICULOUS and the tenant class you have for these areas are going to be much stronger than other markets. 

There is a world of difference between a client and a customer.Once you have become a client and shown that when you put a property under contract that you will close, then the relationship will be stronger, the level of trust much stronger, etc.