With the lack of appraisal coming through and some of the issues with rehabbing, what are some takeaways or things you've learned for the next deal?

The main arguements against stocks are the lack of control you have over the companies in your portfolio and their ability to lose a significant amount of their value in major economic downturns.

Even less that are finished and useful.An actual finished and useful basement is a real pita for the appraiser due to lack of basement comps.

Your lack of being able to see the place.

So I've been investing in tenant occupied SFH for just short of 10 years; I took a 2 year hiatus due to a job change and lack of funds but am now ready to begin purchasing again.

Could be anything from structural issues, to a lack of functional plumbing, to peeling paint.

What if you DO find clear signs of negligence or lack of cleanliness?

We've been in Cleveland for 5 years and have been able to sort through some of the bad apples and now just work with the good ones. 

In essence this sounds like becoming a real estate agent for commercial properties just without the real estate license. sure just pop on to every HML s website and you will usually see a tab for broker submissionsand join appl   association of private lenders.. many of those are brokers.. go to their vegas event meet all sorts of senior lenders. yoyu work for points.. and have no monetary risk other than time. 

My question is, what are the key things to look for when hiring a contractor, and why do there seem to be so many bad apples?