There are many resources for you to connect online and in person.

However, he asked me to sign a one-year Exclusive Right to Represent agreement, as presented to him by his brokerage.His interpretation is that it applies only when he materially assists me, but I think the boilerplate brokerage language he was given reads much more broadly:"If during the term of this Agreement Buyer enters into a contract for the purchase of Property through the services or efforts of the Broker or Buyer’s Brokerage Firm, or by or through any other persons during the term of this Agreement" (emphasis mine).My concern is that, under my interpretation, if a fellow real estate investor wants to unload a property or if I get pointed to an opportunity by a former agent, colleague, or friend, this agreement could create an obstacle to moving forward with the deal.In the end, I didn’t sign.

I cold call and go direct to the seller and I have a 3 person team that pretty much just calls all day long for me.

I have personally wanted to build my home on this land for 10 years, as I've always been interested in this.Issue is, I've never done any work with residential development, only smaller land development, about 13 acres, and commercial, all on my own.With the residential development, I'm trying to get a sense of anyone in the space currently and what some ballpark costs might be for infrastructure and how that all works.

HELOCs are generally provided to properties that are held in the owner's personal name.Are your family members not interested in refinancing the property?

When I encounter this type of client, I do everything I can to convert them into one of the previous clients.First thing I have them do is run all their income and expenses through a separate account instead of their personal account. 

We have done it both ways where we fund purchase and they cover rehab but if the individual is less experienced we do not do it that way, we have them put more money into the deal from the start and fund the draws, reason why is we also had a deal where the person said they would do this and never did anything and property sat and loan matured and it was a pain.Just recognize you will still not get 100% financing for the purchase, so you are putting money in up front. 

Personally I am thinking 1c.

I would be fine with a $10k non-refundable retainer and $500/hr. personally.

If you need more to do the rehab, perhaps instead of partnering, you could get your former boss to do a personal loan.