Gain a first hand understanding of the context, experience, and associated costs.  

@Michael Gil - Thats achievable in our market!

I've helped several clients achieve this in the last few years and I met some of them right here on BP!

I cannot speak for conventional lenders but as a HML I am contacted just about every day by rehabbers, ostensibly for loans, who are eager to show me pics and info about their past achievements.

I would suggest to narrow down your objective and goal(s) and map out a path to achieving those. 

I am looking for recommendations based on firsthand experience. 

I'm also looking in Angie's List and other search sites, but I figured the folks in BP have first hand experience with GC's that they have worked with who are reliable and had little or no issues dealing with.I'm looking at gutting a single family home (3/1 1500sqft) to its structural frame and renovating it to a 4/2 or even expanding it to a second door unit to make it into a duplex.Thank you for any recommendations!

@Chad Deihl, thanks for the first hand info, its good to hear that the work is under way, and they are indeed making progress.

Due to the fact that your replacement property will be worth far more than the relinquished property, you will achieve complete tax deferral on the exchange.     

And he said: Look Vicente, I have achieved this in the years that I have been here I have this amount of savings and I intend to invest in RE, I know that we are in a market that is too expensive for what I have but we could look for some other that is more accessible.