When to get contractors involved

[Kyle Kalish]

Hi All,

Very green investor here; question is, as I'm looking at properties and trying to gauge what a good deal is, how and when should I know what the renovation costs will be? My concern is if I have a contractor/inspector look at things prior to me submitting an offer, it could be a huge waste of their time (unless this is common?). If I don't do this though, how can I "run the numbers" to know what's a good deal and what isn't? It seems in all of the books and podcasts that contractors are involved after the purchase price has been agreed upon. Thank you for any help!