Just thinking out loud.Get the HD card for 10k limit.Buy materials directly at say cost is 4k then offer to pay if contractor wanted labor at 2k offer to buy them 4k in materials they can use for other jobs instead of paying them cash they get twice the value in materials for bartering the labor.You could even mix a small labor cash amount and then material credit together if they insisted on some cash.Huge companies might not do this but I can see a smaller outfit going for it.Never have done this just thinking out loud.You can then pay down the credit card over time with your new tenants rents.Also before employing this strategy do not go by the first estimate for rehab.Get multiple bids to see what the average is and materials and labor quoted.Make sure costs is all in.

IMHO for every one good turn key outfit there are 9 bad ones.FYI: if you thinks there's fraud or other laws being broken you can file a complaint with the IN Real Estate Commission. 

If you let a lady pick out your clothes, you will look "dressed up" in an "outfit".Men wear certain things, different job men wear different things at different times.Men usually wear something different to a wedding than to a meeting with a friend for lunch.Often where I have done business, tan pants, a nice dress shirt or golf shirt and nice shoes are fine.Some guys like a nice pair of denim pants with a golf shirt.Some guys like a track suit and a T shirt.Shop at the price level of the circle of people you do business with. 

Keep in mind as you run your numbers that you will need a budget for any renovations and to completely outfit the house as a STR.

He mentioned having reached out to local property management outfits in the role of a renter, rather than as an investor with a portfolio. 

I'm surprised you were able to get this off the MLS, and not have a bidding war with the other rehab outfits in the area.

I know of some smaller outfits as well.

I know six months isn't too much, but my experience with the turnkey company's in house PM outfit has been good.

Even after I forked over around 300 bucks to sign up for the service, I was immediately (like literally the next day) getting calls from an outfit called Fortune Builders.

There are plenty of outfits up there that will take a hefty management fee if you decide to STR the property(which I recommend) My client up there grossed $90k her first year with STR.