I have heard of foreclosed property with 2 lots not being foreclosed together, with the owner retaining ownership of the secondary lot.If I decide to make an offer on the property, especially with the HUD contract, how would I even make it contingent on getting that second lot?

Those types of problems often end up being far more costly than people imagine if you have to put in retaining walls, etc. 

You should pay him only for this phase and not upfront but only 60%-70% of the money mostly for material and part labor. 3) Materials: Make sure that after the bid, you understand what kind of material your contractor will use.

It starts out at 0% and we can increase this as people express interest, request materials, start asking detailed questions, or verbally commit to subscribe. 

Number one, over rehab, number two replacing things that dnt need to be and not knowing where to get deals on materials.

When replacing a kitchen and or bathroom in your property, do you use low, mid, or high grade materials?

Many contracts will include a clause that essentially says the Seller cannot make any material changes to the property before closing.

At one point the building inspector suspected that the property may have had a hazardous material underneath the flooring.

Find a Resource yard nearby to source used materials and rent tools from.

Just like the old saying, labor is double or so of the material cost.