Right now you feel like a failure but it is this whole situation that highlights everything in you that makes you a wildly successful businessman. 

Progress payments to be made upon your inspection and approval, holding out at least 10% until final inspection and approval of any permits, and 30 days after completion or until unconditional lien releases are submitted for all subs and materials for which preliminary 30 day notices have been filed.In larger time sensitive projects you can also negotiate for of a performance bond which would compensate you for failure to complete the project on time and to the specifications in the contract.Always check the status of the contractors license with your state contractors licensing agency and verify that the guy signing the contract actually is the contractor whose license is being provided.

After listening to dozens of podcasts, and reading numerous real estate investing blogs and books I'm concerned that the following will doom me to failure.I'm not interested in traveling and I don't salivate over quot...

You do not hire someone because they are down and out you hire to get a job done properly.They are down and out because they are a failure.

Been paying almost 6 years of home warranty on our first property of about $360 for first 3 years and now $720/year in anticipation of a HVAC failure (HVAC was 15 years old when we acquired the property), which amounts to $3.2k in sunk cost.

The minute you start making decisions based on the feelings of other people will put you on the road to failure.

The replacement program was initiated because certain fire extinguishers can become clogged or require excessive force to activate, posing a risk of failure to discharge.

Make it clear that their failure to perform inspections enabled the problem to worsen and they are therefore liable.If they refuse to pony up, you can file a complaint with their Broker and then the real estate commission or whatever your governing body is for California.

Anyone trying to be a wholesaler is destined for failure, even the ones who have some sales chops.

Beyond these figures and your response it seems no one on the web wants to talk about this strategy as being reliant on failures.... or am I just being cynical?