Having burned with few tenants, I am considering to tenant income and asset verification on top of regular background check.

I believe this is considered active income.

The next house will bring in passive income (rents) and that plus the equity it builds can wipe out debts fast!

A DSCR loan, or Debt Service Coverage Ratio loan, is underwritten to the property income instead of your personal income/taxes/debts.

Can we takes losses from syndications (as a LP) and deduct those losses from our W2 income, Based on the fact that my spouse qualifies as a real estate professional?

The next step is to pull out some cash typically a cash out refinance and use that cash to put down on another investment property.Are you strictly using your liquid reserves/earned income to buy versus using the equity to pull cash out?

Reporting each property separately on Schedule E is generally the correct approach, as it allows you to accurately capture the income and expenses associated with each property.

However, it's currently not generating any income, and my family is divided on what to do next.

On the plus side, lenders review that as well as they will look at the size of the congregation, giving strength, as well as other sources of income. 

To provide clarity about my situation, I am currently job transitioning and would greatly appreciate insight on building a portfolio with income limitations.