A couple of  friends of mine have airbnb's as well, and it worked out very well for them too.

I'm building my first duplex in my hometown and an old friend of mine offered to do the wiring for it.

I am currently doing this with three other friends and it works out very well.

We have an extremely tight budget as we are doing this as a favor to a friend, not as a money maker.

I have family/friends lender that is willing to pay the $40K rehab costs. 

I'd never trust the numbers of a homeowner, unless they were a licensed contractor themselves, and even then, I'd double-check and verify everything myself.Since you don't know any contractors, I'd reach out to your network (friends, family, coworkers) and ask for references.

I am wanting to engage more frequently with people more knowledgeable and/or experienced than me.

I am in Boise, Idaho, but have some great BP friends in your area that are very in the know. 

I've talked to close friends about investing but they are not interested at this time. 

Hi BP community - I'm currently looking for a commercial multifamily building in Houston and am looking to connect with investor friendly agents + brokers in the area.