I wouldn't hire an appraiser.

If anyone used any of these professional before and experienced an exceptional service in a reasonable price please recommend me them.

You will pay less Taxes on the sale due to paying Capital Gains instead of ordinary income tax due to being flipped the same year you bought it.I am not a CPA and will recommend that you seek advise with a professional on that area, but if you flip to rent instead of selling on your first years, you tax bill will literally be almost non existent.Do not let this flip and some appraiser steal your future as an investor, on the next ones, try to invest a lot less on the rehabs and you should be fine!!!!!!!!!!

If you went into the business transaction with a serious attitude and a professional process then yes they absolutely would. 

my four year old daughter fell down our front steps we told the ll 2 times about it within 6 months they put wood shims under steps their removeable temp steps then my daughter fell we told the landlord to fix them they said what do u expect a new set of steps said that would be nice he laughed we said fix the dam steps he said he would look at them do any landlords agree cause im friends with hos mother and we are never later then 2 days late on rent and always tell them when that happens he has over 30 mobile homes they said owned free and clear and 27 are always rented so its not a money issue I told him my daughter had to go to a neurological trauma unit and he said rents due today do you have my money i I told him thats the last on my mind but hes getting hismoneyy and he said expect an eviction and he  I told him i told him im hiring an attorney and he flipped he told me telling him about it 2 times within 3 hrs is too much and ordering him to do something is un acceptable what would you say whos in the right

As an investor, what is most important to you when you hire a contractor?

If you choose to go it alone, refer back to BP podcasts where people talk about how they manage their own properties and check the show notes for links to the software, resources etc. that they use to be professional, organized and ultimately successful.  

That gives you a professionals opinion with proof to take to the sellers.

I will be managing it from CA, probably with the help of a professional management co.

I would at least do that... see what you can see.Most lenders hire 3rd parties to verify work done then draw gets released.. at least I know Realty shares does this.And you have to when your lending to the general public like this.... these deals can go upside down easier than you think and 25 to 30% equity can get eaten up very quickly.. all those prime SF is a good place to be compared to other markets that are not as robust.. but I would certainly take a drive up.. maybe you will catch someone working on it and can walk in.