4) Does anyone have advice on how to incentivize the GC to bring the contracts in under budget?......

I would want to turn a property in under 4 months, 3 preferably.

I feel like flooding twice in under a year or homeownership they are not telling the truth.

You'll find that a mentor is going to get annoyed if they have to teach you the basics, and you'll find that a coach is likely to inundate you with details that you're not ready for if you go to them prior to understanding the basics.- You'll find that as you get more involved in the real estate community (BP, local REIAs, etc), that you'll meet plenty of people who could end up being a great mentor or coach.

So if your rehab goes over or if your appraisal comes in under, you have to figure you may be eating that difference.But when you say you had to come up with "A lot of cash to refi" - how much are we talking about here?

Here's my proposed rehab schedule for a 3br/2ba ARV in 150K range... rehab in under 30 days: *I only use supplies in Stock.

While it'd be a great feeling,  to instantly be debt free, wouldn't it be a better feeling, to use all the rental income, and be debt free in under 5 years, and an additional $700/month, and have an asset worth $65K?

I always try to refi all of money out, but in some instances I may have a few thousand stuck in (under $5000). 

All in under $70k.  

Management would, so I hear, be top-notch with Dunes Properties in Folly Beach, SCMy question probably centers around: the continued desirability of the beach; the flood potential and flood insurance cost issue with a house that, say sits 12' high; and the risk that rising sea levels will inundate the Lowcountry (Charleston) and reduce demand in 20+ years.