I am not a contractor, but most bread and butter homes are pretty easy to estimate unless you get into structural or foundation issues.I have several great GC and handyman contacts as well as independents for cabinets, flooring, windows, roofs, paint etc if you plan to self manage the project.

@Paul BrownDo you have 100 w2 employees or 100 independent contractors that work with you in the moving business?

Real estate can get you to financial independence much faster in my experience.

Another factor to consider, is that independently from my personal investments, my brother and I are currently on our second flip.

And few people independently gave me an interesting and new (new to me but probably not new to everybody) thought:Is real estate the most expensive it has been but also the least expensive it will ever be?

Price benefits did not accrue to independent land owners, loggers, retailers, truck drivers, etc. 

He was told he couldn't hire an independent appraiser it had to be done through the mortgage company so they would be unbiased.

Find a Mortgage broker that works specifically with construction loans. there are plenty out there, most are independent and don't work directly with major banks. * your contractor must be fully vetted by the lender and they must bid the project* all permits and building approvals must be secured before lender will send final approval* 45% DTI Max on most of these loans with some rare exceptions at <680 credit score*3 months PITI reserves* an outside inspector must oversee the project and will release funds in stages to the contractor*the Max amount of the loan will be determined by the bidding process, usually with a 10% bufferThese are just some of the requirements and you will more than likely lose that great rate from Wells FargoBest of luck on your project

We had been looking for a SFH last summer, but were inspired by a friend who hit financial independence using RE and changed gears towards REI.

Also, get an understanding of how they handle change orders - that can drive unexpected costs.Make sure the bidding process is independent too.