Think of a duplex, where you can live in half, and rent the other half out...you are in the learning mode now, it will be tough when you need to get on a jet every time to check out the house, and helpers. 

The A/C guy just put more freon in it, he basically patched it up for another year.....Also with a heat pump the techs DO NOT put extra freon in your unit when they installed it to compensate for the 50-100 foot lineset/pipes that run up the wall, so you are already short on freon the day they install the unit, you just dont know about it....If you went with a package unit (the square rectangle kind that is all outside) you shouldnt have to worry about being short freon because  its precharged from the manufactor (I trust them more than a green helper that just started in the A/C business), and you shouldnt have to worry about carpenters, or sheet rock guys punching a nail threw the pipes that run up the side of the wall because its all self contained in that outdoor unit...Thus they call it a "Package Unit."

Hire a couple guys and pay the skilled one 15-30 an hour and his not-as-skilled helper 8-10 an hour or be that unskilled helper. 

I don't need to ask, you're not insured and neither are your "helpers" so what happens when someone gets injured, say the mower hits a rock and puts an eye out.Have the owner contract to do stuff, you can pay him, or have two prices, one full of trash the other in marketable condition (marketable for you).I'd say it's a bad idea, a good thought to get cub appeal, but bad idea. :)

Miami,Broward and West Palm Beach RE market is really tough for begginers,either buy and hold,or fix and flip(property values too high,and not so many helpers out there)and i belive sharks owns the wholeselling scenerario very quited,that is my feeling in 3 weeks learning here with little or zero info coming from those areas.Working in Real Estate industry can open doors for you to have a networing and get your foot on the ground ,who knows if you got lucky and find the great deal,somebody said here too ,if you have the deal money will come..Start grinding and good luck.Excuse my English grammatical mistakes,is not my Natural Lenguage..

The GC that did the roof said he could have done the complete remodel on this house in about 3 weeks compared to the 3 months it took me and my helpers (family).

Maybe you could get a second job as a helper to a contractor/rehabber and "learn while you earn"?

We stage all of our properties, but we find that it's much more cost efficient to own the furniture and do it ourselves.In terms of a fair price, if we're talking about a 1500-180 sf, 3 bed/2 bath house, I figure a typical stager will incur costs of about:- $250 Move-In- $250 Move-Out- 2 Days of Work to Stage and Destage- $5000 Worth of Furniture Used at Least 10 Times (so $500 in Furniture Costs)If the stager is getting paid $500/day (that includes a helper), you're probably looking at about $2000 being a fair price.

You will also need a helper, it's a 2 person job.

I've learned that once you get a clue to how this all works, agents are more of a hinderance than a helper.