But these properties will just get traded and re traded like they have over the decades. 

They already have plenty of volume and why would they charge you less when they can just go to another job and get paid more.Over the last 15 years I have gone through probably 10 general contractors, lots of trade specific people also.

These typically include everything except concrete work, and the actual trades (electrical, plumbing, HVAC). 

They can swing by the branch, mail it, electronic transfer. 

I also have some with a fellow that does "active trading". 

I like to consider myself a jack of all trades, and haven't had a great avenue to make use of it until I really started learning more and more about REI.

The thing to keep in mind is that you will trade more of your time instead, and depending on the scope of the job, amount of times you have successfully completed it, & the situation (if a unit turnover and time is limited) you should factor in a learning curve of watching YouTube videos, trying things for the first time and messing up and having to go to the store to get more materials, etc. 2.

I make pretty good money on my 9-5 with unlimited overtime and I couldn’t/want to swing that.

I would boost my credit score immediately through 2-10% utilization, ask a family member and/or business partner to add you to their oldest credit line, then pay down debt to $0 two months before applying for the fastest lowest possible residential lending FIXED RATE mortgage (because the Fed is raising interest rates along with potential inflation due to this 2018 trade war). 

Not sure what other points the ladies and gentlemen in the chat have already touched on, but globalization is not limited to just nation trading, but it effects market prices in micro-economy of coaching as well - there is a wealth of preliminary knowledge here, and on other sites, but I wouldn't discredit a mentor too quickly.That being said, as my initial statement was alluding to, the supply and demand of the real-estate mentor market has become pretty tame, and I believe you may be able to find mentors of similar value (I dont want to say "surely" because I do not know the person you are referring to at 12k) at much lower price points such as 1-2k.