For things like cleaning, painting, etc; she should be hiring people to do that (or if she wants to then contract herself) and bill you those at cost. 

Depending on the nature of what needs done, *in general* a good contractor will cost you about the same thing as you acting as the GC yourself because they get better pricing from subs than you will get, and pocket the difference as profit.

Builder costs went up.

It needs to be easy to understand, flexible, and cost appropriate for a small start up.

also, you are correct about the $4500 upfront cost.

We know there are multiple venues to get the leads, some very costly others not, some demanding tremendous effort (like going door by door, driving for dollars , or making thousands of cold calls etc.) , others not so much (mass mailings, for instance).

Florida will continue to suffer from much lower affordability due to increased insurance costs and taxes. 

It cost 200 per year for a million dollars coverage above and beyond your regular insurance.

With a purchase price of $220,000 and minimal renovation costs of $1,500, the property promised a substantial return with a sale price of $245,000.

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!