My question is, being my first investment home, should I bother with hiring some kind of designer to help with the material choices/colors/styles/etc or keep with the contractor and work toward a plan and scope of work that way?

I am based in NH and have worked with businesses and investors across the country with no issue and be able to provide high levels of service - I am confident most of the CPAs putting themselves out there on BP could do the same.Locally - a REI group is fantastic, other members can certainly point you in the right direction for their service providers of choice.

You should also consider the value of comparable properties in the area and any other factors that could affect the property's value, such as zoning changes or economic conditions.When negotiating the purchase price, it's important to be strategic and to aim for a price that leaves room for a profit.

This can be very expensive and is usually the worst choice to make because you can't justify the cost.2.

Otherwise, a company finds itself having to make a choice.  

We write into the leases that tenants are not allowed to paint, but some still ask, and worse yet, some do it without asking.We have a choice of 2 paint colors for walls that we use in all of our properties (a light beige and a light grey).

I would give her two choices: move out in less than 10 days and you'll forgive the rest of what is owed, or you can start the eviction and come after her for every dime owed.

You can receive credit card payments through Stripe or Square or take payments however you like....venmo, zelle, PayPal, check...your choice.

So from a strategic perspective, yes, provide credits.Now, there is a legal perspective that you should consider as well.  

The key is to be creative and strategic to minimize risks and optimize the cost of capital.