Contracted the designer and blindly let them design your home....

It's that kind of statement that is blinding people of where the real value is in real estate.  

The other 3 above should be able to provide referrals, but don't blindly trust anyone!

Working just on offer side you are blind to it. 

Find a narrow area, then focus on improving your expertise/knowledge and you will have an informational edge that will pay huge dividends long term because unlike most people you will know what the true value of an asset is and can calmly pull the trigger when others are scared and can calmly not pull the trigger when others blinded by greed.

being a new build we had to add some basics, like blinds and a yard (including a sprinkler system that I installed myself, I learned a lot there)What was the outcome?

Maybe put up a barrier between hotub and his camera.Plant trees along your fence line, etc.If there is nothing one can do about a neighbor camera pointed at there pool..... well then there isn't a thing the neighbor can do about pointing a laser-pointer into the lens of that camera and blinding it.... 

---Just like the infamous "1% Rule" that many newbies blindly use without understanding!

I think if we would of gone in blind with the option of spending our $100000 to cover the flip on our first property we would of been 100% more sucessful then paying for someone to hold our hand. 

@Taurus Colvin don't blindly accept his numbers!