The information contained in this post is not to be relied upon.

Our lender has informed us that we need 12 months of rental history to use the actual rent for financing purposes, or we must rely on the appraiser's fair market short term rental value.

I have received quotes/feedback from three contractors here I can share some information with you. 

Not enough information here to answer this question accurately.Is the home a total loss? 

However, I'm having difficulty narrowing down a few markets, such as Tampa or Kissimmee/Orlando.I think Andrew give you some good information.

The numbers may not be that favorable in LA for this, I don't have enough information. 

The information contained in this post is not to be relied upon.

You can't decide which one to choose based on the minimal information you provided.

Can you give me a little more information about where the property is located? 

I think they contain solid information and will help lay a good foundation as a beginner (Haha, I'm completely new to real estate as well, btw)I'm also going to be reading the following books, and hopefully I can finish all by the end of this month:1) The ABCs of Property Management2) The Advanced Guide to Real Estate Investing3) Long-Distance Real Estate Investing How to Buy, Rehab, and Manage Out-of-State Rental Properties (this might be the most important one to me personally)4) The Book on Investing in Real Estate with No (and Low) Money DownIn addition to reading, I'm consuming crazy amounts of youtube videos, and I'recommend you do this as well.