What should I be asking when interviewing a contractor?

[Samuel DeMass]

I have come to the realization that to buy a house that cash flows in my area, it's going to need some work.  I have also realized that I don't have the time or skill to accomplish all the work.

I posted an ad on craigslist to try to gain some useful contacts and the flood gates opened.  I got 10 replies in a few hours.  I'm currently on round 2 filtering and narrowing down the field with some preliminary questions like "have you been convicted of any felonies" type stuff.

I'm not at the point when I'm ready to reach out and call a couple of these handymen to interview them.

What questions would you ask?