I then traded up to an old Mercedes SUV with 200,000 miles and ran it up to 320,000 before selling it.

I would treat it as a lesson learned, one that most investors go through early in their real estate career.Construction attracts many deadbeats, since the barrier of entry to many trades can be so low (ie painting).  

I made a lot of profit trading in general merchandise and by the time I decided to move into manufacturing, I had accumulated enough capital.

I my beginnings I was an general contractor's "helper", fine tuned the trade and became an HVAC contractor.

Many times even people with years of trade experience fail cataclysmically when making the transition to project management or general contractor.I would also advise against going out the gate with multiple projects.

Or, more likely, use his information to self-manage and cut him out.I'm not saying that my contractor list rises to the level of a "trade secret."

Hi @Steven Lugo, You definitely have the right frame of mind in seeking a mentor - a seasoned local investor can be invaluable in helping you learn the tricks of the trade here.I definitely struggled to find some great mentors myself, however, and I think that my experience could perhaps be of value to you!

You are trading time or money.

I'm really burning out on dealing with trades people, and looking to hire a GC for my fix and flip business.

I understand the worry at first so maybe swing by on a weekend or something at first.