Contractor -- When is the right time?

[Carlos O'Neil]

Hello BP Forums!

I am new to real estate investment (here in Texas) and had a question about when is the right time to locate and engage a contractor.  I felt that finding a contractor would be a crucial piece and sought them out before I had deals lined up so I knew who to call, but later I felt like I was wasting their time since I didn't have a real project to assign them to at the moment.  Now, ironically, I have a project and my contractor contact is no where to be found.

Your thoughts?