Stick to areas that have had a great reputation for a very long time and leave predicting the future to the guys who have too much money they can risk to gamble.

problem with "cost-plus" you erase competitive capitalism  but if its too late to redo things, then demand 3 bids on everything and be available  to be part of the conversion on suppliers.

Please research your numbers more closely with reputable contractors and make sure you get those prices in writing.  

First American Exchange is pretty reputable in this regard.

The BP podcasts are an incredible source of information and confidence for new investors - I listen on my commute, how efficient is that - and you'll get a sense from listening to the interviewees who is reputable and who is not, and the various approaches out there to wealth building.If you are set on a particular person, you may want to learn as much as you can about his investment record, how long he has been investing, what sort of returns he's created, what folks are saying about him, and has he been sued, etc.

My current struggle is finding reputable buyers for my re-performing assets.

I’m definitely looking at more of a long term buy and hold rental, so I’m trying to brainstorm different ways I could partner with a more reputable investor with a little more bread in the deal.

They're going to have good knowledge of the area and rents, of course if you want them to manage for you be prepared to pay about 10% (depends on your area) and make sure you vet them as a reputable company. 

How would I go about finding a reputable and affordable RE attorney?  

They may start marketing "coming soon" or "pocket listings" to other realtors that they know have a great reputation for closing deals quickly.