My good friend is a roofer and always said he would do it cost plus a case of craft beers of his choice.

I am planning on having inspector, contractors, roofers, foundation experts, etc., come give me estimates before closing but I didn't want my offer to be too low and not get the property but too high and lose out.  

What bothers me is that I gave him $10K to start foundation and roof work; due to rain, this work was delayed until 2 weeks ago; he said 'good news, we are ready to start foundation work and I will send you photos on Thursday/Friday' and 'I will be meeting with roofer tonight, materials have been ordered and double crew scheduled to make up for lost time due to rain.

And keep in mind, even though the inspector may be good, he/she cannot possibly point out every deficiency in the property.So if you really want to thorough, find contractors that specializes in their field e.g. licensed plumber, electrician, roofer etc.

I am buying a rental out in west texas in Abilene near the university...can anyone recommend a contractor, roofer, or a home inspector out there?

Although I save money, I spent too much time shopping for roofers and it took them forever to get back to me with estimates.

He's waiting for you to call the authorities because he has no one in his life and you're his last contact.I hired a roofer 5+ years ago to do two roofs.

I don't really want to sell and move to another market, but that is on the table.By the way, anyone in Portland know of any good/affordable roofers, painters, rehab contractors?

Whichever way you decide to go, just have your team (plumbers, electricians, handyman, roofer, yardman, carpenter, etc.) in place.

My Boss (DAD) has done major jobs before which have turned out well, but not where I'm at right now.Flat Tar and Gravel Roofs:  Hard to find roofers who still do it and difficult to sell these properties.Recent Death in the Property:  This was a minor issue we suspect in a job that just got in escrow after a bit of a wait.