As far as advice for how to run any aspect of RE investing, I think its like any other business, if you watch the details and run a tight ship, its a lot easier to make money, but I think that's true with ANY type of business!

Biggest reason that I see that new investors try to find contracts and exit contingencies to use is that they are scared and don't know what they are doing, they want a way to jump ship if things go bad and they want to walk away without any consequences.

Whom ever filled it out could/would be next of kin(ship)..and then send your (probate) introduction letter..No need to pay for a skip trace service in Sacramento county.

It might be worth it to have a contract drawn up by a Real Estate Attorney regarding what is expected and other factors regarding the mentor-ship of you from him.  

You need the cash flow in the beginning to turn this ship around and make it shine again.

It's a very tight market, very competitive and the old guys pretty much have that niche tied up, you'd starve trying to break in on your own, sometimes experienced brokers and attorneys are just the known, go-to brokers, convincing a larger corporation to jump ship and go with a new broker would be like banging your head on a wall, IMO.Most commercial brokers want experience, not green from any school as there is a difference from the classroom and reality.

You can see parts of sailboats docked behind them.Now if I turn and look to the left, same street, you have these apartment homes.If you look close enough, EVERY window has holes in them.

Now the house is listed as a 4-3 with a dock.

YOu can pay for material and just get a labor price and have it dropped off and request that pictures be taken .I am a contractor and the bid you had I would get a second bid at the end of the day the contractor is out to make the highest profit he can the same way you do , so if he can charge 18K for a 14K job he will the same as a flipper charging 120K for a 100K home and can get the price.Laurn there are also alot of bad but alot of good contractor also , name of the game with a contract is building a relationship with the better the relation ship the more you will get out of him sometimes you will get better #.

He took off and we are in litagation...It would have SOLD by now had he done so but that ship has sailed.