As decisions are being made on materials, installation methods, etc, your contractor can be informed in real-time of the finalized expectations for each phase of the contractor.

Your family and friend has certainly put you in a tough spot.

Quote from @Craig Jones: The biggest issue here: If you're covering a property with a homeowner's policy or LTR landlord policy and the property is actually a full-time STR, then you're concealing material info about the property's use from the insurer. 

The more people you meet the more you'll recognize the ones doing what you'd like to do and you can start learning to how to provide value to them / find them deals maybe.It's a tough market and unless you are providing value to an investor it's not going to be as easy as finding someone to shadow, i don't think.

Timing schedule for materials Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

Quote from @Bruce Woodruff: Quote from @Ed Daniels: @Noah Kellar tough to advise without a photo, but I think the consideration about how it would turn out to repair and paint, remove siding to paint wood, or re-side is easy to me as an investor... whatever looks the best for minimum cost.  

By electing QBI safe harbor, you ensure that your rental activities qualify as a trade or business under §199A, provided you meet the 250-hour material participation rule and maintain proper records.

Any information you are willing to share about past projects from addresses, scope of work, estimates, line item breakdowns, materials costs etc.  

I recently watched a video where Troy Kearns mentioned he could source a high-quality quartz slab for $100 from China, which got me thinking about exploring similar options.Has anyone here ever imported materials like hardwood floors, countertops, or tiles from China for a project?

He will lump "painting" and "flower beds" together and not provide receipts for the actual materials that were allegedly used.