I am in the Chicagoland area and I am seeking out reputable licensed, bonded & insured General Contractors to work with on  fix & flips.

At the same time, your entire  description of your situation sounds very unusual and full of potential red flags.No reputable crowdfunding platform would require you bring a check to the closing.  

Those people are not going to let one deal affect their overall reputation and credibility.

I go by the 50% rule. (50% of your rent will go to expenses NOT including financing expense) This covers repairs, vacancy, reserves etc.I just recently heard the area 4 X 4 has a bad reputation among tenants and is harder to fill.

Hire a reputable well sealing company (I recommend Bergerson Caswell, Inc or Don Stodola Well Drilling Co, if in the Twin Cities area), schedule the work, and pay them once it's finished.

I don't have any good answers for how to market better, just keep fighting the good fight to truly help people while you make money, and hopefully you can build a reputation in your market.

Get a reputable real estate agent to give you an honest and conservative valuation of the houses in their current condition and then cut the price to that number. 

One caveat: make sure you're working with a reputable company who's been around for a while.  

I would like a good reputable school not some local that no one out of state knows about. 

I would like a good reputable school not some local that no one out of state knows about.