What I am realizing that there seems to be no other way to narrow down and identify a solid team of professionals to support your investing besides words of mouth and referrals.

Are they happier when they move in or when they move out?

Numbers vary for every project, how to choose a property really depends on your criteria, and one of the better ways to find a good contractor is through word of mouth.

With a realistic completion date on each project, you'll be happier and your PM won't be quite so stressed.I'm also wondering what it is you're hoping to accomplish by having more site visits.  

Anyway, like I said, I don't think I'd have to do any marketing past the break room, a couple of emails, or word of mouth.

We haven't had a single hiccough and couldn't be happier with the service.

(although city of Waukesha is the one (and really only) spot in that county that's pretty even that way, but some people are still foaming at the mouth 24/7, while guy in next cubicle couldn't care less!

You'll be happy if you don't need them and even happier to have them if you do.It is better to lose a deal because your repair estimates are too conservative than it is to win a deal where you under estimated.

I only advertise by word of mouth or craigslist and I get tons of calls from my craigslist ads.

Given that, 80% of the people use a realtor via word of mouth.