Might coat you $500 or more for a hour but will save you a $15k bill from a contractor who simply sees a easy way to make money off off you! 

Not only that, but it is unoccupied and subject to any number of things happening to it while it is unoccupied simply put, it just does not seem worth it to try to haggle over a raise like this. however, if you are in a high demand area with your property, and you know that it has a lot of value, you could post an ad to try to get some feelers out for occupancy and if you find something better, as far as quality and price for the occupant, then you can consider the lengthy eviction process, but again you're doing all of this for about $200 extra and none of it seems worth it.

Look for investors who have capital but lack time or experience—networking on BiggerPockets, LinkedIn, REIAs, and local investor events is key.

This could include lower wages, longer hours, lack of safety, etc.

I appreciate the difficulty in answering given the many possibilities and my lack of specifics.

Currently, I'm in WA but due to the lack of good reasonable priced inventory for BRRRR, I'm drawn to out-of-state investing. 

With a milder climate, lack of natural disaster, good economic opportunities, and decent governance, NC has a bright future.

Being a subject matter expert, not because you are forcing it, but because you simply ARE, shows through, and investors are rightfully attracted to that. 

A garage conversion, however, may not be subject to the same level of scrutiny.Parking Considerations – Parking is becoming increasingly valuable, especially with the rise of high-density micro-units that often lack designated parking.

Hard Money Lenders - from what I've seen, reflect the lack of experience more in the leverage than the rate.