You probably wouldn't need a "general" contractor, who (like me), would subcontract plumbing/electrical/HVAC work, though some towns permit HVAC work to be put on a general "building" permit.I'm not entirely sure what plumbing and HVAC work the previous contractor did but you may (sometimes) have issues with plumbers and HVAC guys taking over or signing off on work done by previous contractors that they can't or don't want to put their name behind (or they may charge you more simply for doing this)... depends on the company/person, and on the nature of the work done.

I want to note that I am not interested in taking business away from any investors; simply a connection with a good contractor that experienced investors use but maybe do not have the capital for a deal at this time.

Find a private lender that will simply act like a bank with interest rate from 7-12% and keep the rest for you.

That's all wholesaling is, it's brokering real estate except instead of being up front & telling the distressed seller that you'll sell their property for X amount & take X amount as your commission / fee you are taught to lie to the seller & pretend you are going to buy the property while you secretly attempt to "assign" your contract.It doesn't work.

Of course, sometimes we simply cannot find actual rents.

We have attempted to contact an abandon home by using both Google and Facebook to try to track an owner down.

But try not to think that one should be attempted over the other.And also remember, as I’m sure you would consider doing with real estate, when the market “drops” that’s a perfect opportunity to buy depending on your investment strategy.Hope that provides a little insight.Charles

It's possible the tenant is better at this sort of work than both of us but you never really know...If I were in your shoes, I'd have a licensed contractor do plumbing and electrical but that will cost you more.I guess it comes down to whether or not you want to pay more or take a chance the tenant is doing it correctly, in which case you can simply be happy that the tenant is happy and also that he's saving you $, at least in the short run.

In California, the LL is required to attempt to minimize your expenses when you break your lease. 

More than likely this could be fixed by simply buffing the floors and applying another coating.