Is there any other route to starting to develop my own trusted network of contractors as I start out here?

On one of my California properties.. turns out we have some pretty valuable Tiger salamander habitatdepending on the study we do... mitigation is between 165k to 195k per acre with 1 to 1 and up to 3 to 1 offsets.so 165k and acre to potential of just under 600k per acre to mitigate these guys.. cash to the govmit.and this is just one thing that needs to be addressed... usually the whole property is not affected but a neighbors property is 10 acres and 1 acre is affected depends on 1 to 1 or 3 to 1...now our property is worth 1 million an acre as development ground.  

Don't trust Zillow and never trust a picture.

Tax considerations are just one of the many considerations you'll need to address as you set up your entities.

Many of these tools are built into MLS for realtors as well...so if you know a good one and can trust him/her than go for it...but I've been using my agent for 3 years and he's a rockstar...but I still track all my own numbers and do all my own comps in addition to asking him to do this.

That might be your clue to who is responsible and will give you an address.

This will be a buy and hold and use as a vacation home when its not rented.If she wants to wait and get the appraisal, do I trust it?

It' actually in his father's Trust that his mother is holding at the present time.

Give yourself the margin necessary to address the level of risk you are comfortable taking on and then move forward.There are no guarantees in anything you do.

Frank Rolfe says: MHP value = Lot rent per month x # of units x 60 or 70Laura Cochran says:  MHP value = (Lot rent x 12 x # units)/19% or higherBasic real estate common sense says: MHP value = NOI x market multiple (or divided by market Cap Rate... pick your fancy)The problem with using the NOI is that you can never trust a seller's numbers.