That’s often easier said then done but that’s gonna be your best bet.

On one side I am an active real estate investor with experience and (knock-on-wood) some nice properties. 

It's hard enough as it is to put larger deals and capital together let alone limiting that to the same 10 near-equal partners...and at any level of scale or over extended time periods.I know sponsors who work with small investor databases but it's still clearly a syndication with active and passive roles and equity splits that vary from capital contributions.

In April 2018, I read Rich Dad Poor Dad after running the numbers and realizing we would never reach financial independence with our current rate of active income.

However I fail to see how this is true at the scale at which I would be capable of buying...in my price range the properties would not be large enough to merit their own on-site Management, unless maybe I just bought one and bet my entire future on it.

In such an active market, it is hard to find any good deals on market.

THEN the deposit can go back to her since she is no longer on any active lease and you have a full deposit from the current tenant.

Your best bets are either lending to the "big dogs" in your area or investing in a professionally managed fund like @Dmitriy Fomichenko suggested.

There isn't as much activity though as you would get in other areas of Hampton Roads...which can be a pro or a con depending on your perspective.

The "right" answer for you can certainly differ depending on the whole picture of your financial, tax & business activities.