Quote from @Simon Horowitz: I'd love to connect on here with trustworthy contractors that I can bounce ideas off. 

Since I am out of state I rely heavily on trustworthy & knowledgable input.

Second piece of advice is to have a trust worthy title company that can guide you.

Any tips anyone can share on how to find a reputable and trust-worthy contractor and/or a lawyer who can write up less riskier work contracts?

However, I have heard and read of many horror stories of landlords working with incompetent property managers who provide no real value.In attempt to avoid this issue, I am doing my due diligence and asking investors for referrals of trustworthy property manager.

Even when we manage to reach a working voicemail,owners often assume we are just another "we buy land" serviceoffering far below market value.Given thesechallenges, we are eager to learn the most effective strategies for locatingpotential sellers and establishing a professional, trustworthy connection thatencourages serious consideration of our offers.Telephone/voicemail is informal, hence casual, hence “we aren’t putting much effort into this.”

I've also tried Yelp and just Google but haven't found anyone that seems trust worthy.

If you’ve worked with trustworthy contractors or subcontractors in the Jackson County/MO area (especially those familiar with investment properties), I’d love your recommendations.

Also, keeping track of inventory is important as well (as is a trustworthy cleaner and that can get tricky if you have too much stock).

Plus they have to be trust-worthy and with trackable experience.