Since I am starting on a smaller scale I would like to get my feet wet with putting syndications together.

It just has to be to scale.

Consolidation exchanges are not necessarily complicated but they do scale complexity as the number of properties and size of replacement increase.The extended option Bill refers to can be a good idea if the seller will agree.  

@Jessica Mendez The prices do seem on a lower scale in Jacksonville, add in the schools and it is a very attractive option. could you tell me more about you current deal?

I don't know what kind of retirement income you'll have, but generally it's difficult to make a living from rental properties without really scaling up the number of units owned (well past the 20-30 unit mark).I don't mean to dampen your enthusiasm, but I wouldn't assume a few single family rentals would provide enough income to live on, unless it's just extra money on top of a comfortable retirement income.

These are small houses so hopefully the roofs will be on the lower end of the scale.

get through the building projects in process... flip the big subdivisions I have tied up to Lennar or Horton.continue to shed debt. and FINALLY sell the last 3 rentals I have.. down from 350 LOL.. . continue to be the go to funder for my teams in the mid west allowing them to scale and become financially secure or whatever  financial secure means.get going on the court house steps teams I have created in certain mid west markets. ( very exicited about this niche).move to Vegas  end of this year get out of paying Oregon state income tax' which may no longer be a write off. continue my health regime have lost 40 plus pounds since last June.. maybe play some golf this year.. and continue the international travel that we enjoy.. next up Israel next week and Thailand and Singapore in Feb..

I went ahead and created a pros/cons list:New England Pros: Close to home base (drive within 2 hours max) and comfort with the region (know the cities/towns)Good opportunity for price appreciation (not that I am looking for some huge increases)As a result of price appreciation, I am considering taking out a HELOC to do more deals.New England Cons: High acquisition costs (purchase price/down payments/reserve requirements)Lower cap rates/slim cash flowExpensive repair costsMidwest Pros: Great cash flow/cap ratesPrice stability (prices don’t increase or drop significantly)I can scale the portfolio and really achieve my goals rather quickly (more on that later)Midwest Cons: Investing distance (I’ll need to get on a plane rather than jumping in a car and going to see the houses, whenever)Low familiarity with the region.

From here you can keep adding 2 or 3 units at a time but I would scale up as soon as possible.

Doesn't have to be at the same scale or $ value.