@Pierre E.In situations like yours, it may be best to engage with a medium-size CPA firm that has in-house specialists in multiple areas.

I've found the idea of objection handling to be highly overrated.

Foreclosure specialist?  

Be careful going below your standards, and always document your objective reasons for choosing one applicant over another. 

I sent the report to an insulation company (Affordable Insulation), and the specialist was stunned by the pictures shown in the report.

This bleeds over into the PM understanding the investor's goals and objectives for the property, and thus screening tenants, maintaining the property, minimizing expenses and vacancy, and maximizing rent collections accordingly. 

Does anyone have a good referral to a RE attorney or Asset Protection specialist located in California or that understands California? 

However, while I was succumbing to shiny object syndrome (admiring the fancy new kitchen, new hardware, and beautifully tiled bathrooms), my agent was crawling around in the basement crawlspaces, collecting cobwebs and assessing the plumbing.

They are good at negotiations and they can negotiate from an objective position without letting emotions get in the way.

We are having some specialists coming out soon to remediate the mold; however, we just found out the appraisal is tomorrow and the drywall and mold won't be repaired yet.