While this isn't a hard and fast rule, more often then not, these are the guys that can't manage their schedules well, and will be gung-ho on your job for a couple weeks, then be flaking out as they picked up too much work and are trying to keep too many homeowners happy.And lastly, the more detail you have the better the bid will be with few change orders.  

Until the job is done.

Great job on the due diligence or Operational process you have going.  

On top of that you have idiots who engage in bid wars and pay retail for a house that has never been inspected (and those are the bidders who will cry foul when they discover totally trashed and destroyed house that will require a full gut job to rehab). 

& track my job costs against each category so I can compare my budget vs actuals and calculate the variances.For example:Electrical Budget: $4,000Electrical Actual: $6,300Variance: +$2,300This process is more tedious because you have to breakdown each invoice or receipt and allocate the costs to each Category, but it really helps you understand where you are spending your money and why you went over budget.Otherwise, it sounds like you are having trouble measuring employee productivity?  

Good job!

It was vital that the house be in close proximity to the one who knew how to do the repairs, because of the technology of our current time theoretically Id be able to monitor and track progress with a trust worthy foreman whos on the job, performing repairs, managing subs, and moving the needle.

You will eventually have an issue but if you do a good job it will be few and far between.

There are often church groups that can help, but he needs to start looking for a new job-he should have done that as soon as he was laid off. 

On the job education!