For me, a big part of REI is the lifestyle benefits, and I'll be able to live in a great area.

He instilled confidence in me and I figured it would be good to gain as much knowledge I can from him.

IRS requires you to track and report your properties separately so that gain/loss and locked/unlocked passive losses can be accurately captured. 

Either way I'm just looking to get some work in and make money and gain experience.. 

The only stipulation I would include is if you decided to sell at open market we benefit from the upside just like partners should.

I see and hear a lot about the benefits for the person who is actively syndicating a deal.

Hi I am looking to gain information about  getting into real estate investing and buying my first investment rental property here in Ft myers/ lehigh acres Florida.

The tenants signed a 3-year lease, so we wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt and have a good working relationship with them. 

For capital gains taxes, how can I charge my personal time to the cost for renovation?

If you are targeting properties on the MLS being licensed could be a big benefit as you could see the properties quicker and write your own offers without having to rely on another agent.There are costs to keep in mind but one decent deal should pay for several years of costs at least here in California .