With that said, it's also potentially many units, depending on how much cash you put into each, how you finance them, how much they individually cash flow, etc. 

However, syndications are more suited to taking care of certain elections/choices(cost segregation) that may be overlooked by the individual investor.Furthermore, when you are an investor in a syndication, you are at the mercy of the syndicator to provide you the K-1 before you can file your return.

These are exactly the type of individuals that will be able to successfully win a lawsuit against you should their return be disappointing.Raising capital in a way that gives you the best chance for success requires a verifiable track record of success in similar deals; capital of your own to invest to align your interests with those of the passive investors; and compliance with a safe harbor exemption from SEC registration which usually means a Reg D filing, the cost of which is $10,000 to $15,000 for the most basic.

As a property manager, he seeks to bridge the gap between real estate investing and out-of-state owners and empower individuals to be financially free.He manages my rentals.

Should I be looking for one GC to handle the process or just hire individual subs? 

I will look into those individuals.

As an individual holding the deposit with no pm I would also say it was for rent first since that is easiest to deduct with not much of a defense from the tenant. 

No referrals, but you might want to read our series about “How to Screen a PMC Better than a Tenant”, since selecting the wrong PMC is usually more harmful than selecting a bad tenant: https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91877-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-1-services-and-processes

Would I use the LLC to seek lending or should I do it as a private individual?

Not looking for typical hard money lenders but individuals with capital that I can work together with on buy and hold deals.