Do you know good a good plumber/electrician/hvac company/etc?

Checking local reputation of a HML is necessary.

Enforceable contracts, reputation, etc.

By the time we closed I had my carpenter, plumber, electrical, flooring folks all in place and ready to go.Then I drove the island to determine what I could purchase from there vs. what I needed to get from Houston.

It's just that when a problem comes up, it needs to be dealt with quickly and if you don't know where to turn for help, (who is a good plumber etc) then it is a real interruption and hassle.

If you aren't going to do the work yourself, get a couple of reputable contractors opinions on pricing in the area.

I'm may hire a property manager anyway to manage the properties, and I'm thinking it may be doable if I find a reputable company.Any thoughts?

You might have more luck that way then with brokers and agents trying to sell regular houses.The brokers and agents that regularly transact in an area the other brokers and agents know them and their reputation.

As for your suggestion on wholesalers how do I go about tracking one down and more importantly how do I find a reputable one?

I can't say I have seen a single person go directly into wholesaling full time, it is usually a transition that occurs after they have some experience and have fine turned their systems and built a solid reputation among local investors.