When I was a kid, about 13 or 14, I worked in a berry farm in the summer, got promoted to work at the mink farm across the street in the winter, cleaned a barbar shop on thursdays and also mowed yards whenever the grass would grow.Then, dropped out of high school at age 16 and did this kind of stuff for 8 years:RooferGrocery baggerHotel JanitorCredit card customer serviceCarpet cleanerElectician Helper Cable TV installer8 years later:Bachelor's Civil Engineering8-5 Geotechnical Engineer for last 4 yearsMaster's Civil Egineering (just this month)Future.......?

Having a manager or part time helper in this business is a good idea if you have things you dont like to do. this is part of building a team in real estate.

This is a large multi-family property and will take lots of time to properly value before dropping an initial offering price, and I don't want to do that alone, but also don't want to be circumvented by my more experienced "helper"/partner.

You got into an out of state “partnership” because you trusted this other person and now you seem to have neither an asset you like nor a team of boots on the ground helpers that you can trust who will help you manage your asset.

Always over budget and have a good pool of contractors/handy helpers to get the job done Did you work with any real estate professionals (agents, lenders, etc.) that you'd recommend to others?

It cost me about double to hire helpers and rent 2 40yd dumpsters and a excavator then a bobcat plus my time.

Our cost of living is low enough that you can make a nice living as an HVAC contractor with one main helper.  

You put an ad on Craigslist to find a helper for $20/hour for general renovation work, you may get one laconic response in a week, 50% of the time from a foreigner with questionable work status.

I am looking for someone trustworthy to take a trip to a property that I am rehabbing, and report on the status of the rehab and take a few pictures.Does anyone have any recommendations?

With friendly helpers like you two that should be in no time at all.