I might mention that if you have properties and rent to students please remember alot of them (not all) have victorian, ton weight, antique furniture that has been handed down and all try to move each piece with a relative who may or may not be familiar with how to lift much less carry furniture up and down stairs.

A 3-day notice with an attorney firm letterhead carries a lot more weight than a normal letter.

It's also hard to know if contractors are being honest or fluffing the numbers etc...If the rehab number came from a reliable source then it carries more weight, but if it's just a guess by a wholesaler or someone with no experience it's probably going to be too low.Bad wholesalers are notorious for lowballing rehab numbers and over estimating ARV...

How much weight is it reasonably likely to load on his back as he tries to get important things in his life done?

Start when you don't have the weight of other obligations.  

but  I strongly believe - a good real estate agent is worth his weight in gold .

I'd really love to work under a great developer, I would hope that I would earn the listings through our partnership and will pull more than my weight, but I'd truly like for it to be a learning process so that I could hone those skills and be able to do it myself in the future.  

Good contractors are worth their weight in gold so they wont come to you.

I'd really love to work under a great developer, I would hope that I would earn the listings through our partnership and will pull more than my weight, but I'd truly like for it to be a learning process so that I could hone those skills and be able to do it myself in the future.

A portfolio or Hard Money loan could be quicker but weight the pros and cons adequately.