You need a set of specifications and a scope of work so that the work performed can be compared to the work required by your agreement.

If you find that you aren't up for active real estate investing there are passive options to invest by partnering with an active experienced investor, investing in a syndication as a limited partner, etc. 

. $2,500-$2,700 in rent but have a $1,900 mortgage (including current property taxes) plus $100 for insurance, plus a 10% chance of no one renting and another 10% set aside for repairs.After all that I'm in a range of breaking even or making $200 a month with this as a rental.

Unfortunately we did not set up the 1031 exchange prior to selling the house.

Whether it's an electrician, or yard person, title company, Property Manager, etc. usually getting a referral from another investor in that market helps limit our risk to "unknown" people. 

You must have a custodian for an IRA, and while you can self-direct it, you do have a middleman between you and your IRA. 401k does not require a custodian and can be set up as a trust with you being the trustee.

Hello BP,Let's say Johnny buys an investment property for $165k in the state of Texas and puts $30k into it for a total of $195k; the property sells for $300k 2 months later.Johnny has had some experience with flipping homes (primary residence) in the past and is aware there is a limit on capital gains tax for profits under $250k.

Either set aside funds, or try to screen tenants better - or both.

Your lender, perhaps with your help, should obtain a set of loan documents from a vetted source.

I haven't found many by searching so hopefully someone has these keywords set up!