You might get away with taking the "worker" instead of the "contractor" to save $150 and some time in class, but I know up here in NH, there needs to be a "Contractor" license on every job.

New York is awful.

He then took the cash and went to party in New York with it.

I have rentals in NH with all three:  oil, natural gas, and propane. 

If you can't find middle ground then it's time to move on to a new contractor.

Check out Worcester, Southern NH or Providence for a better cash flow.

Also if your looking for a hard money lender who is respected in the BP Nation, and local to you check out podcast #9 with @Ann Bellamy she does a lot of work in S New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

My first suggestion for new clients or mentees is try to invest within 1 hour of where you live.

Another thought here is you don't likely know your REI strategy yet (being new and all), so courses tend to be narrow and focus on just one aspect of REI (Flipping, short sales, foreclosures etc). 

And anyone who is in MA or NH - let's connect!