I know I already mentioned this, but @Mordy Chaimovitz...If you can get by with lower cash flow and invest for the long-term generational wealth (aka appreciation) in nice neighborhoods, that is the way to go, but it's tough to get by at times -- at least it is for me.Just know everyone's situation is different, and you should do what is best for your specific circumstances!

Has anyone else encountered a situation like this?

An owner can challenge the number of hours their PMC bills them for a project though.2) Contracting every job out, but the bids aren't shared and owner just gets a bill on PMC letterhead covering labor & materials, with little detail.This is a pretty difficult situation to understand the charges, so you can monitor them. - The smaller the job, the easier to understand using the material & labor steps above.- Larger jobs may require requests for more detail, so the above steps can be applied.Be sure to check your management contract for what you agreed to.

That being said, this depends on your overall financial situation.

Usually you have to pay for the privilege of getting a return phone call from an attorney.(9) We have over 30,000 of uncollected judgements on six cases and like the LA fires, try to forget about getting back what you had, move on and take precautions never to get into that situation again.

We are interested in using the equity for a real estate investment, and are looking for ideas, suggestions, or investors in similar situations.

Bit of a wild situation here, at least to me and my lender; maybe it is more common than we think, not sure honestly.

And which of those is most beneficial given my situation?" 

He is a smart dog and I think he could read the situation well.

. - that might be a situation where you would want to work with a contractor directly because you would have lots of different options with widely varying costs.