This will help vet those contractors looking to take advantage of folks, in particular since you’re investing from afarFocus on punctuality and communication – did they show up on time, did they return your call/email in a timely fashion, do they keep a well maintained vehicle, do they communicate in a professional mannerVerify IDOnline search of their name and companyReferences with phone numbers, and previous work – call the references, find out the type of work done, does the type of work they’ve done match with what you’re looking forGet a detailed, written scope of work (SOW) along with a detailed, itemized contract – define the payment scheduleHow will the payments be structured –are they asking for money upfront (potential red flag)Hire a licensed, insured contractor that is in good standing with the Better Business Bureau, and the local consumer protection agency; check the license number, insurance policy, and bond.

To bring everyone up to par, here is where I stand.

The invitation style envelopes with a handwritten mailing address will stand out from other mail because of it's shape and indication that it's a personal mailing. 

@maddison nobbs Account Closed Ok, so this is like Instagram for tagging people; so many social media platforms so little time - could we all just use snap chat to communicate or is that unprofessional?

Over time, your good standing with your mortgage company, and the equity in your home will easily propel you into a good position for additional real estate investments.

Right now I'm scoping out neighborhoods that a) cash flow and b) are someplace I could stand to live for a year.  

I'm building a list of free and open source tools to help a group of friends sell their houses and am looking for input from others who also do this.SugarCRM (big fan of this -- not the easiest to use for newcomers, but provides great value when on a budget value)Wordpress (big fan here -- once we build a template to showcase a house, then we can then we can script out these installs)LAMP / LEMP -- Linux + Apache / Nginx + MySQL/MariaDB + PHP/Pearl (the platform all of this rides on).  

Our National Debt stood at 9 Trillion in 2008 and it now stands at 18 Trillion.

Not trying to pile on, just a professional heads up, but LLC stands for limited liability company, so there is no need to add another "co" after you list Walker Enterprizes, LLC. 

@Brian GibbonsWhat does CCIM stand for?