Any general contractors, carpenters, handymen that cover a wide range of skills? 

Without knowing the house price range you are looking for, but if you are looking for the range between 350k and 550k, you can still find multifamily houses in Jersey City (07304, 07305), Bayonne, and nearby areas.

GAL fees can usually range from $750 to $1,500, depending on the county and who is appointed by the court.  

80 - 100K CAD .... so about 50 - 70K USD (maybe cheaper as these sorts of things are more expensive in Canada.That has a hydraulic lift and included the construction of the shaftway.Of course ... you can spend much more[Note:  I originally included a rang of 60 - 80K CAD (25 - 50K USD), but going back to the quotes we had last year to bolt a 4-stop onto an existing 4-story apartment building, the range is more like 80 - 110K CAD]   The 60-80K was for a 3-stop solution at another location.]

Your commute may be pretty awful once you find something in that price range.

We have done multiple deals in this price range.

Every time a listing comes up on Downing St in Riverside in my target price range ($300-400K+) I take a deep dive. 

After that I changed to the pick ten plan for every property to make sure my range and dishwasher is covered. 

Ok gotcha, if I were you I would look at rental comps online to get a range.

When you rent a property, you are generally bound to provide a habitable property.