I would strongly advise against it unless they are a true handyman, carpenter, plumber, electrician, etc.

Certain trades I wouldn't skimp on, like electrician, plumbers, etc, but sometimes you can get away with bringing them in to do the finish only, or you can pay a licensed trade or GC to come and inspect the work prior to closing up walls, etc.

Hi Dirk,What I've done in new markets I've invested in is join the local facebook community group pages and post about my needs - ISO of plumber, electrician, handyman, etc.

You'll also need a handyperson, plumber, appliance repair person, electrician, lawn care/snow removal, and pest control.

Challenges: Finding a quality electrician, fixing the leaky basement.For some reason, I cannot find a quality electrician.

The electrician , plumber , HVAC , concrete ,  contractors ALL mark up their materials .

I knew nothing about that part until I walked my own renovation with the contractor and electrician. 

Mechanic, Electrician, Nurse, CNC Operator, these people are $$$$-Fountains! 

Does anyone have recommendations for an electrician who can split the meter in a multi-family home in the Albany/Rensselaer area?

For the unit to be up to code I had to hire an electrician and all of them were mentioning that It would be thousands of dollars to fix.