However, it doesn’t take much more than a little common sense to figure out real estate is still the best investment for most of the population.

It's been a couple of years since we've had to replace a carpet, but I'd be happy to share the contractor we used.And, no, Home Depot will never be cheaper than an independent contractor: They have to mark up the cost for it to make sense for them to be involved.

As long as the Daughter is making all payments on the loan and paying back any costs to Father, could that father be removed from Title as as  "JOINT TENANTS" (not holding as Tenants in common which is more used)Will there be any tax consequences if the Father is removed from the Joint Tenant title?

Then again, I invest in Upstate NY, so it makes sense to have 10% extra on hand and why my rule of thumb is state dependent.

Analyze it as if you were buying it as a rental, and see if it makes sense

This is a very common outcome.Everybody wants 3 things from their general contractor.CheapFastHigh QualityA good contractor gives you one of the three.

Wouldn't it make sense to use your cash flow to invest in more real estate for better returns and more control?

If square footage is important Measure "  IE onus on the buyer to measure .. and many times we get that bonus were it was advertised as 1800 sq feet and its really 2100.... this is quite common in the foreclosure business.

Previous expenses to get a sense of the history of the maintenance of the project. 

In addition, you should explore other investment options that are good and common for self-directed investing such as private lending, investing into syndication, note funds and private placements.