We have videos of the state the contractor left it at, I don't think we have pictures, never thought of that.

You can find instructional video on YouTube, like this one.

Which contractors are absolutely necessary and which ones can we get away with not using and just do the work ourselves?

I came across some videos on youtube on the podio subject from a guy by the name of Dan Schwartz.

I've been reading up and watching videos on note investing and I understand the concept and like it very much.

I have both systems, the Fast Track System is great for beginners as it shows you step by step instructions to include video, contacts, marketing strategy & REI resources that otherwise would take you a lot time to find on your own.  

That's why the one I listed above appealed to me they listed the whole process online or in videos.

Just because people get away with it does not make it legal.

You also have to attend a handful of live classes, but you can do that as a webinar--they actually feed the video from the live class, and it is quite interactive.

I watched several you tube videos and read carpet installation specifications to learn how.