Yo yo @Brennen Clouse - Networking networking and networking! 

Network, network, network.

Welcome to the real estate hive.. are you open to exploring off-market listings through your network?

I work on projects across multiple states and have a strong network of contractors.Regarding when to involve a contractor, if it’s someone you haven’t worked with before, I’d suggest waiting until after the inspection.

Posts like this are part of my journey to learn, network & connect with experienced professionals like yourself who have valuable insights to share.I also want to apologize for the late response—it’s been a busy few days, but I didn’t want to miss the chance to thank you for your input.Looking forward to learning & growing in this space & who knows, maybe one day I’ll be offering you in on an investment idea or I'll be the one offering advice to new investors!

Quote from @Michael Smythe: @Kwanza P.Recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.Also, encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others - by reading posts here on BiggerPockets about owners not having their expectations met by their current Property Management Company.

Ask yourself: do I really have the knowledge of real estate principles, real estate law and real estate finance; the network of contacts; the experience both in business in general and real estate in particular; the time available; and the analytical ability to compete against FULL TIME EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONALS to be successful in a field where the failure rate is so astronomically high?  

NETWORK!!!

I wanted to expand my network of like minded people.  

Networking with the professionals in your market will start to open doors and opportunities to collaborate will arise!