3.Any recommendations for contractors or permit expediters in Covington who can assist with this process?

I would recommend you begin researching Chicago based meetups as there are a bunch of really good ones.

Does anyone have recommendations for a contractor for an almost full gut property in Rochester NY?

First, I recommend you understand the market.

Once you sign up there’s a ton of other systems (Freedomsoft, Prycd, Mailers, LLC, phone lines etc)he recommends that you get in order to do his program successfully.

My last offering was has been a real challenge and Matt has stuck with it for over a year.Never swaying from his commitment to me and my success.You need to be willing to take his advice and work hard but his stuff works.I would whole heartedly recommend him to anyone who is serious about raising private money.

I strongly recommend getting involved with your local REI meetup groups so you can work out your pitch with help from other landlords.I hope this doesn't come off the wrong way without tone or facial expressions behind it. 

I have never pulled a permit for a water heater swap, know no one that has ever pulled a permit for a water heater swap, ever seen or heard about one getting red tagged for no permit, and have never had a plumber recommend getting a permit.

Recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

My recommendation is before chasing all these real estate deals is to go earn and save some money so when a good deal comes a long you can take action and move on it.