Ultimately, I would love to end up with a community of 20-45 microhomes, with a retail price of around $150,000 each.

There are also REIA groups in nearly all major metros.Conferences: The Biggerpockets conference and/or the Best Ever Conference are two good ones that will let you meet investors of all shapes and sizes, from syndicators to LPs to direct owners in nearly all asset classes, from SFRs to Airbnbs to apartments and retail, industrial, RV parks, etc.

It's really hard to pay retail prices on renovations and come out ahead on a flip.  

I will be leasing a commercial property for the first time, it is a small retail space in Northern California.

Have been looking into Commercial Retail shops, laundry mats, etc. but I am a bit unsure how much I could "purchase" with my current cashflow/down payment.

You will get a better rate and terms, experience, and a faster closing going wholesale than you would going with a retail lender. 

About 4 years ago we purchased a retail center for cash and after stabilizing the tenancies financed $650,000 at 4% fixed 20 years with this lender.  3 months ago this lender allowed us to wrap their note in a new first lien we provided to a buyer with a 10% interest rate - essentially granting us the right to collect the differential between 10% and 4% on the principal balance (currently $610,000).  

As an investor you need a very different mentality from a retail purchaser.

Retail footprint has trimmed because of Amazon, yes, that's contributing for sure.

I really don’t think people realize a 506c there does not have to be a ppm and the operating and subscription agreement can say they can invest in anything from pigs feet to moonstone and they could have an iq of 4 as a sponsor and do really dumb things but none of that is a scam or a ponzi.Just like last crash no one went down, same will happen here - regulators are far to busy dealing with the Wall Street crowd which impacts retirement accounts if retail investors - investors in a 506c are accredited = they can lose it all.Sec isn’t gonna spend $ 1M chasing someone who just had a bad deal.