I'm not a professional Tax person.

Personally, I advocate for a long-term investment strategy and would recommend investing the funds, provided you are comfortable with the expected return on investment over time.

Quote from @Jessie Dillon: just my 2 cents.. i'm not a fan of the syndication model. there are better ways to invest more passively where you have more of a say in what goes on, can achieve higher returns, and can have your personal interests at a higher priority. 

Figure out which best fits you and your personality and take it from there.  

That person will be able to tell you what you can do and following that plan will give you peace of mind about your further investing strategy.

Highly suggest coming out to some of the local chicago IN-PERSON meetups! 

@Richard Rafferty, given the relatively small nature you are looking to take on with your first syndication, personally, I would find it hard justify the typically 20-30k+ for a paid mentor. 

If the office is disorganized, their processes likely are, too.Other ConsiderationsExperience: Choose medium-sized firms—they balance resources and personal attention better than large or small firms.Fees: you cannot afford a discount property manager.

Share what you are looking for and the deals you are working on with your network in person and on social media regularly.2.

For funding, explore options like FHA loans, personal savings, or creative financing, and focus on New Jersey markets that align with your goals, such as Newark for rentals or commuter towns for house hacking.