This post is intended to be a response to your list as well as a reference for myself in the future!!

Bonus points if they can refer you to reputable contractors in the area. 

I believe these are the ones you are referring to.

Does anyone have specific reference that gives clarity to this situation?

I want to be sure I’m understand what your point of reference is.

I thought to myself and thought the workshops must be very intensive.For me, the 3-day Real Estate Workshop was held at Roosevelt's Hotel.First Day:I was given two booklets--1) Real Estate Workbook (wich supplements the book they gave out before the workshop)2) Real Estate Elite Workshop Events Catalog (which I first thought was the daily schedule for the workshop but later found out it's an information packet on the $39,500 "elite" courses that they sell)The ironic part is that, through this three-day event, the so-called instructor Jason Jones referred to the Ad packet "Real Estate Elite Workshop Events Catalog" SIX times (he literally asked us to take it out and flip to certain page) and didn't mention ANYTHING nor asking us to read the "Real Estate Workbook ".

I have a decent amount of property managers that I really trust and can refer you to them! 

@Jason Mayer no, but I have an agent that has a few Section 8s himself who I refer my clients to for Denver/Colorado Springs.

And what kind of protection are you referring to?

I am definatley going to keep these posts for future reference.