If someone recommended this Contractor ask the contractor to show you pictures of his work.These are great starters for a good contractor.Five contractors will give you five different thoughts.   

Tell them you would like to speak directly to the tenant to confirm the work was done with pictures.

Purchase price: $435,000 Cash invested: $126,000 Sale price: $720,000 Complete gut and remodel, super custom Interior Design brought in very high ARV and sale price, based on market trends.

They will know his entire financial picture and can advise him of his options.

I can see through pictures that some parts of the house could use a touch up, paint, new appliances, or tile in the bathroom but I'm having trouble quickly understanding what this number would be and what I should make as an initial offer. 

I'm looking for a reliable contractor that can handle this without charging us like we are building a custom top end house.

I've done both kinds of loans in the past, own over 100 units, and have done this for a while now myself and with customers as an agent. 

I always take pictures for proof.Several times I have contacted the renter and they have paid for any damage without having to get Vrbo or Airbnb involved.

Once you have your team going - it'll give you that much more of an edge to be able to knowledgeable offer on properties and get a quick in-and-out on new opportunities that will work with your budget and strategy or not.I would recommend by starting with a realtor and then asking for referrals from there - you'll need a boots-on-the-ground so you can have pictures and an appx assessment done quickly so you know if you need to engage in an offer or not.Best of luck to you!! 

We need the complete picture.