You could pay the contractors but if you can be a strong referral source I'm sure they'd be happy to give you estimates.

Unfortunately - my current lot for my primary is 1 acre and VERY sloped, and close to a water source (creek), so the county has not even allowed me to permit my downstairs finished basement without an extremely costly renovation to our septic (over $60,000, and that doesn't count demo'ing and replacing our driveway to get to the existing tank and leachfield), and even if I could permit it, it would essentially need to be a treehouse in the redwoods due to the slope (not a bad idea though, I would actually love a livable treehouse on this lot!

They did a great job and the property was very turn key.

@Kenny BaoTypically, larger properties are sourced through brokers.

@Michael Fucillo You are not jumping the gun at all.  16 units is still a lot to manage by hand, and getting a system that makes your day to day easier is going to be key to your own sanity. 

I have a suggest or 2 on sources if you want to PM me. 

One of the Keys to Success in Multifamily Partnerships: Communication In the world of multifamily real estate, teamwork is everything.

🙏☺️ I completely understand where you’re coming from & you’re right that owning real estate is a key step toward truly being an investor.I’m still new to the game, but I have a solid plan in place to move toward ownership & establish myself as a real estate investor.

That being said, your typical cost of capital is as follows:EquityAgency debtBalance Sheet local lenderDebt FundPrivate DebtPref EquityHard Money DebtBookie/Loan SharkOther things that will impact capital sources: are you wanting to finance the improvements, or will you pay for those from equity/cash flow?  

Quote from @Tannia Castro: I would say the key would be to narrow in on an area (this could be a city if you are not from that area and investing remotely), or this could be a part of the city (some local streets) if it is in your backyard.