If it is a non trust worthy GC you may never see that money again & in less drastic terms you simply want to pay for work as it is finished like you mentioned. 2) You can control them because the 30k will be returned to you & then you will disbursement Payment to the GC in standard fashion. 3) If the rehab costs less you do not have to pay the overage to the GC & do not loose this money.

I own a couple homes in the Western Catskills and I manage a few others.

The home is a 1-bedroom and is about 10 minutes away from both downtown and the largest hospital in western NC (i.e., Mission Hospital).

We are not expecting anything to do with foundations or the house structure - but that will be determined after the inspection.My question to you guys is, do you know of a good, reliable contractor in the north/western part of houston (cypress/willowbrook/jersey village area)?

In August of 2020 I bought my first STR in the mountains of Western North Carolina - and in late 2021 I purchased two more cabins in Western NC.   

Have you made purchases in this fashion before?  

The entire construction industry in Mexico is built around pre-construction sales when it comes to western-style properties.

One involved using a funnel from one of his toys and one involved doing something in an assembly line fashion to reduce the amount of time it took to switch tasks. 

I have never accepted offers on a rental, Here in western OK its easy to get 10+ qualified applicants in a day.

i don't think finding a realtor is the best avenue for you. what you need to find is someone in the area that is willing to work with you but finding and looking at properties for you and relaying the information back to you. kind of an " eyes and ears" guy on the ground for you. i am currently doing that for a couple out of new york city. i know what they are looking for and if they find anything on their own, i go check it out for them and relay my advice back to them. check out my profile, i am a home inspector in the western new york area. i am very skilled at looking and giving a professional opinion. please get back to me if you might be interested