Just curious why a certified letter would help? 

I’m considering having a lawyer send them a certified letter, though I know that will still come with a significant fee, which is still preferable to full service.

For now, staying local allows me to leverage my property management experience—most of which came from working directly for family and close business associates who were property managers, contractors, and business owners.

I like how the City puts everything permit related on a portal for all related parties and contractors to see -- so there is no "he said, she said" down the road, and you can see where they've approved an inspection, or made comments needed to correct a deficiency.  

We are General Contractors and part of why my cost for the conversion is so low is because we have the resources to pay at cost and the property is located in a county with lower labor costs than other parts of California.

They also change based on time of year, and availability of contractors. 

Here is my simple Top 5:1.Review the market – Understand the trends and conditions in the area.2.Analyze the property and the numbers – Ensure the deal makes financial sense.3.Visit the property – There’s no substitute for seeing it firsthand.4.Meet the team – Whether it’s your property manager, builder, or contractor, relationships matter.5.Complete inspections and appraisals – These protect you from costly surprises.If all these boxes are checked and the numbers work for your goals, then it’s likely a solid deal.

3) Dealing with Contractors: guess you found it's not as easy as the "gurus" make it out to be. 4) S8 slightly above.guarateed Rents: typical naive mistake.

I have been a Building Contractor for over 30yrs.

Also a good opportunity to learn some DIY maintenance and make some contractor contacts,etc.