Just like a family full of half, step, full and red headed cousins.

If they can't live without the money upfront it's a red flag 

Were there no other (non dog related) red flags on their application??

Now I'm to the point where I'm in need of contractor with past experience but alot of the big players in my area don't do small land development.

Do you think it's a red flag and I shouldn't even put in an offer in the first place?

If the PMC's fees are all front-loaded, that should be a red flag. 

Ask the RE investors you meet to recommend Tax Accountants, Attorneys, Contractors, banks, etc.Go Tigers.Post a picture of Red Beans and Rice. 

I know that "it depends" but mostly looking to understand how that return could change as you increase the amount you go in with.As a follow up question - The higher the $ the fewer the players.

Add to that the fact that there are a ton of laws surrounding syndication and who you can take money from, so even if you found someone willing to give you money, there is still a lot of red tape to jump through. 

@Andrew Jennings FreerksAllan mentioned $180/sft build cost in our market and that is correct for those finishes.I imagine in your area it will be much higher as you live in a very regulated market with tons of red tape for building homes.