@Michael Almand My contractor walks most properties with me.

I am far from an environmentalist kinda guy, but just based on my construction/Contractor mindset, they make a lot of sense in any house, especialliy those where the ductwork is old or smaller sized, or you need to build chases for the ducting.

Even with tight timelines, you’ll hit surprises (permits, hidden structural issues, or contractor slowdowns).

And the fact that you have a contractor you know personally is name of the game! 

Get a contractor estimate) before proceeding.

The Tenant Class greatly impacts rental income stability and property maintenance/damage by tenants.Both Property Classand Tenant Class affect what type of contractors, handymen and property management companies will work on a property.If you buy & renovate a property in Class D area to Class A standards, what Tenant Class will rent it?

YES, I do provide a bonus / penalty structure to my contractors.

We did have one contractor re-pave our driveway but other than that, we haven't had any actual construction work done on the house, so I haven't used any contractors.

So they permitted the room as a bedroom and do the work through a contractor for $20,000 and now they get more money today due to livable pace added verse a dining room that was not providing as much value as a rental. 

One of my problems is that I've been a contractor all my life and im not very computer savvy.