Let them know you do not pay for partial work so if they don't complete and you have to hire someone else they will get nothing as whoever else you hire will not warrant the work that has already been completed.These are only a few things and undoubtedly you will have a contractor issue eventually but these few things should help you minimize issues...

In saying that, I am looking to gain experience in the rehab and eventually the buy and hold areas of REI and ultimately learn what constitutes a great deal.What value could I bring to a rehabber/flipper?

Eventually you should be able to weed out the ones that won't call back and be able to find responsible contractors that return calls/emails in a reasonable time. 

I am going to be a newly minted physician within the next year and I have joined because I am looking to get more education on Real estate investing in many of its forms, network, and eventually start doing some real estate investing.

If you do have a penalty, send them the penalty notice and even if you eventually waive it in the beginning, make it clear that you are not conceding that the dog was permitted.  

I think that stuff will eventually work it's way out of the market and prices may inch higher again. 

Pretty much anybody can eventually get something right, but they might have had to tear it apart three times to do it.

Eventually my brother quit his day job and did flips as well as a couple of other businesses full-time (I mentioned he's an RA, he's also a professional photographer, and started an RV rental company). 

I eventually grabbed the old gasket out of the trash and tah-dah!

They think tenants are stupid and can't figure out or won't eventually figure out.