Progress payments to be made upon your inspection and approval, holding out at least 10% until final inspection and approval of any permits, and 30 days after completion or until unconditional lien releases are submitted for all subs and materials for which preliminary 30 day notices have been filed.In larger time sensitive projects you can also negotiate for of a performance bond which would compensate you for failure to complete the project on time and to the specifications in the contract.Always check the status of the contractors license with your state contractors licensing agency and verify that the guy signing the contract actually is the contractor whose license is being provided.

Brokers, agents, wholesalers, direct mail, contractors, networking with other investors, etc.

Hi Mike, Its always great to network, grow connections and see how others approach the same issues.There is a monthly meetup in Manhattan which myself and others will be attending.

Looking to network with anyone in this space.

I currently live in Oakland and working on expanding my network as well. 

Hello, I am looking to network with Wholesalers and Investors in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties.

You'll have access to MLS to be able to look for deals, keep the commission, list your own deals, referrals commission, document database, you'd have the online tools to submit offers, its a good networking opportunity because you'll be further involved in the real estate community and you'd get more of an educational opportunity because you have to study in order to pass the state exam.The realtor is involved throughout the process.I'm new so I mean.. what the heck do I know?

Also, network with other investors in your area.You can get your deals done right.Congratulations once again and best of luck on your move to Shanghai as well as your real estate investment career, Tim.You are not alone in your real estate ambition.

I would check out this meetup:https://www.meetup.com/Black-Belt-Investors-anahei...This is a great place to network and get really good information. 

Your deal source can't also be your pre-acquisitions advisor and your property manager without you getting the fuzzy end of that particular lollipop.Build an independent local network - One of the biggest mistakes many overseas investors make is relying solely on their local hired team for feedback.