This one really needs a LOT of work so we are hoping to have it finished in June but I will honestly be thrilled if we can get it finished by the end of July.

I have heard to many bad stories of dealing with contractors and would like to find honest, transparent, and diligent contractors that have experience working with investors.Any recommendations or advice would help.

@Rolanda Eldridge - Thanks for the honest feedback about the HOAs and your experience with your townhome.

Take a deep breath and honestly THINK do I want to own a house if FLA just to have someone else do the management..

.* Always be Honest, Reasonable, and Fair. 

While you are scouting deals with brokers/realtors, you would be wise to associate with and work closely with an experienced rehab contractor to give you an honest assessment of what it would take/cost to make the repairs and an estimate of what you could expect to see, in terms of financial returns, for your efforts.  

You're going to have questions along the way, and you want someone who you can be open and honest with about what you know and don't know and what you need. 

A bunch of real estate people stretch the truth to get a sale and have to choose to be honest to the homeowner about what they are doing.Another choice could be fix and flip but can take more creativity to get a loan depending on how much money you have.  

I know the owner and he is an honest and ethical man.

(Sounds like a very typical way of starting things off haha), but honestly I want to hear more horrible or bad experiences buyers/seller had come across with recent wholesalers.