But what do BPers think about the reputation of a place like that?

Other than that, any contractor who agreed to retainage for residential renovations is either very inexperienced, dumb or has the intent to defraud you anyways and will agree to whatever you want up front with no intentions of ever completing your project.Doing due diligence on your vendors and hiring based on reputation instead of price are two things that will positively affect the outcome of your project and relationship more than relying on contract maneuverings that are out of place for the industry.

For this reason, I would Only buy new, first quality, water heaters from a reputable plumbing supply and have them installed by careful people who know how.  

There are several reputable ones out there, and the experience can be a positive.

I know Camden has a bad reputation, but so does Philly, and in my experience you have to zero in on each block to make an informed decision rather than write off a whole city or even zip code.  

Our group is aggressively looking to expand in certain urban markets throughout the midwest and i'm looking to connect with reputable, experienced brokers and wholesalers that specialize in mid-to-large sized Multifamily assets (20+ units).

Not only is there a very good grapevine among operators and Realtors, but reputations are  made by assisting others.

I want a great reputation.  

Thirdly your reputation will proceed you, and eventually if you treat people with respect, and ethically, then I believe you will be "Blessed with the measure you use to bless others" Best of luck.

What I would pay...give or take:Gut rehab - $40/sfNew construction - $65/sfNot saying you'll get those prices (could be higher or lower given you probably have different contractors, different design style, different definition of mid- to high-end finishes, different material suppliers, different negotiating skills, different level of experience, etc), but that's about what I expect...