Depends on the person, but as a professional real estate investor it would be a no brainer for me.

This way I get paid upfront for my work 1-2k plus I know I have another payday at some point in the future if the deal closes.The costs to fully develop a property and sell for near retail usually involves the costs below and takes 2-6 months or more in some cases, but the profits can be huge if you're working in markets where land costs are high:Title 200-400Legal 500-2000 depending on zoning issuesIf wetlands are present AND its a buffer zone project: 2000-5000Perc & septic design if needed 1500-3000Treescaping & cleanup for retail sale 500-1500Selling costs of 6%I tend to stay clear of properties that need more than the above expense items.  

Depending on your practice size and income level, you may just want to start with maxing out 401k and also adopting a defined benefit plan before committing to becoming a lifelong real estate investor.  

It would depend on my entire experience with them.

Not a silly question at all but the answer depends on a few factors.

but, it's not going to be "profitable" for several years, depending on how you define profit.you'll have a down payment, then closing costs - which new investors always seem to be shocked by - then potentially some costs to get a property rent ready, then you'll pay a month's rent to get it listed and rented out, then you'll likely have some repairs after the tenant moves in.  

The one following may be a profit split with some leverage, depending where the market is and our goals for that fund. 

In a market like KC your $300,000 would get you a $1.2mm purcahse which would be 10-15 units depending on the class and location (could be a bit more or a bit less).

It mostly depends on what opportunities are put in front of you though.

I can suggest some other areas as well depending on where you guys are looking.