Graduate student working on capstone project needs help

[Jonathan Bateman]

Hello BP community!

I am a long time listener of the BP podcast, long time lurker of this community and a Chandler, AZ native. I moved away to Washington, DC for undergrad and I am currently a graduate student at Georgetown working on a masters in real estate finance. 

I am nearly over the finish line and this semester I am working on my final capstone, a 50 page report and presentation that will get me to graduation. The capstone can be anything to do with real estate and I have chosen to "pitch a deal" where I find a deal and write and present on what it would take to execute. My "deal" is an acquisition of a Class C- multifamily property in Tempe that I would purchase with short term construction financing, renovate and refinance into perm debt and try to recapture all or part of the initial equity. 

I work in commercial real estate at a debt and equity placement adviser and have experience in the finance aspect of real estate but know little of construction or the details like what regulatory authorities that I'd have to go through to execute. 

Can anybody recommend a general contractor? One of my biggest issues right now is understanding the cost of the renovation which will determine my returns in my pro forma. I would like to include information about an actual contractor in the market that has estimated cost based on the scope of what I would like to do.  

I have been doing my own research but insight from those that are active and in the market would be invaluable. Like above, what government authorities do I need to work with, where would I go to apply for permits, etc. 

Any other advice would be very welcome. 

Thank you!

Jon

Edit: This is not a request for a mentor, just a student hoping for some guidance from a great community so that my final project is as complete and as real as a hypothetical deal can be.