Not as sophisticated as what they are actually working on, but hey...This was before internet was a house hold thing and I'd never heard of GPS.

Then, once you find one (or more), how/when will you monitor and direct your contractor?

Monitor the topic below if you're not already..

Computer operator (entry level type of position, watches monitors, runs jobs, calls on-call people if something breaks)

Decided to get my license to help find deals and monitor the market.

I once had a tenant who was a scientist at a major drugmaker call me from inside the property telling me that her CO monitor was beeping.

The group from Bellevue, WA calls themselves the Tacoma REI group, and they discourage networking with others outside of their monitored meetings.

Is it different per bank, or is it a state-monitored reporting thing appraisers have to do?

I highly doubt anyone will share exactly what strategy they are using... but if you can setup a few systems then you can tweak them as you monitor and research to find new ones.

One thing that has helped me with juggling cards from a personal perspective is using a credit service called creditsesame.com  The site helps you keep a monitor on your credit rating and suggests methods to improve your rating.