In those situations, to me at least, fiduciary responsibility means asking clients to go do their homework and come back once they’ve nailed down their investing strategy and put funding in place, so that we can strategically pinpoint deals that are right for them and move on them in a timely manner.  

@David Weintraub - well both of those answers are wrong based on the statute - nine months from the date that the sheriff's deed is recorded is the correct time; nobody can pinpoint the recording date at the date of the sheriff sale.

We had a fire in a 16 unit, insurance company wanted to settle for pennies due to the condition of the property prior to the fire (it was in fact a dump), but the adjustor was able to pinpoint and prove that more damage had been done to the building by the (gung-ho / bored) fire department than the fire itself.

You can usually pinpoint the property through an interactive satellite map.

You are trying to pinpoint square mileish areas to focus on.

If another record is found the system automatically notifies the lender through an alert to delay pending further investigation.Most importantly, the tool retrieves the information allowing users to identify the entity or entities perpetrating the potential fraud.It can be used to screen already closed short sale transactions enabling the lender to continue to watch the property for a period of time and generates an alert for any subsequent loan closed on the property, the original short-sale lender and the resale lender.Moreover, it provides post-closing alert notifications, reviews of sale terms for violations, and alerts the new lender about potential for fraud in the dual transactions.Retrospective short-sale analysis helps detect fraud, assess pricing-method accuracy and pinpoint problematic areas to avert future losses.

Welcome from your description i suggest getting an up to date inspection report to pinpoint exactly what needs to be done and during that time bring in your "contractor" to come by give you an estimate (free) this way you have at least a pretty close estimate on rehab costs giving you a better chance to calculate the numbers accurately.

The ARV is hard to pinpoint because there aren't many renovated properties on this street, and the surrounding neighborhoods aren't comparable.

Truss package = $3000Decking/sheathing $30/sheet x 45 boards = $1500Crane rental $450/day x 2 days = $900Engineer drawings = $1800Permit = $2500shingles/labor = $6,000Dumpster= $300Total $17,000It's hard to pinpoint this huge disconnect in where his estimate is coming from compared to all of your inputs, which is very discerning for a first flip!

I was wondering if there is a book that can pinpoint guidelines and things to watch out when dealing with contractors.