It's nerve racking but the payoff is worth it. 

Hard to say without examining the Order.Btw, I spend all day yesterday at the California Assoc of Judgment Professionals conference, boning up on old skills.

Looks like you have struck a nerve here.

I would like to be able to gain this info on my own so I can examine more auction deals outside of just San Diego as well.  

But this time, he went ahead and did a repair I had only asked him to dig up to examine and then he added $100 onto a job that was originally only $150; he also hedged around about the receipt for the part he had purchased (about $15), saying it was somewhere in his truck.

If you want to evaluate {"project"} your investment into the future, you will need to carry out an analysis of discounted cash-flows over the period being examined.

I know that it is nerve racking/stressful.

It turned out to be arson - revenge on a tenant (go figure) - but when the fire department was examining the integrity of building once the fire was extinguished, they found a body in the attic.  

If you're nervous at all (which I would be) better to overcome those nerves in a lower pressure situation than one where you've got a clearly amazing deal on the table.

The answer will be NONE, not if they are really doing business, I examined banks and not one was ever perfect.