I am considering hiring a mediator to attempt to encourage him to move more quickly, or possibly firing him and finishing the rest myself or hiring another GC to finish the project.

remember your first home is not your forever home, it's your first rental so it doesn't need to be everything you want.look for homes where the bones are good, but cosmetically needs love. don't by pre 1960 if you can help it. you'll end up just having to replace all the guts like plumbing and electrical at some point. it's inevitable. look in areas where the path of growth is headed, but might not be currently. think 5 years out. look for resources like your local chamber of commerce to see what businesses are coming in and where. your city planning office should also be on your call list as they can help show where most permits are being pulled for development. follow the money. go to local investing meetups. crowdsource local knowledge and form meaningful relationships. those who've gone before you typically will help out and help you avoid the mistakes they've already made. onward.

I was also strongly "encouraged" to get an attorney.A local TN friend, who's an fabulous small-town attorney (like Matlock, only skinnier and not as tall) agreed to advise me.

With a mortgage, you MIGHT get hammered if real estate prices fall, but you WILL get hammered when some economically ignorant "tenants rights" advocate or politician encourages people to not pay their rents, and now you can't make your monthly nut.

Advani encourages investors to look beyond short-term fluctuations and envision the growth potential of their investments over years, not months.Strategy #2: Leverage Market ResearchIn-depth market research is invaluable, especially in times of economic uncertainty.

The thing I would encourage you to do here is to speak with your realtor about what lenders offer DPA or First Time Homebuyer grants. 

I would also highly encourage you to become active in your local real estate clubs if you are not already.

Thank you @Julio Gonzalez, your encouragement is much appreciated as we start this journey!

I'm always happy to chat REI locally, and would encourage you to come to the next meetup -- second Wednesday of the month at Pearl Street Grill & Bar downtown.

We encourage all potential investors to conduct thorough due diligence, assess their own risk tolerance, and consult with financial professionals before making any investment decisions.As for our number of investors, we are fortunate to have a large and diverse investor base.