Busy Surgeon has time to scour BP or go to RE meetup?  

I don't disagree but reality is you may have bought a 3500 square foot, 100+ year old brick duplex in crime ridden part of town for $30,000 that would have a reconstruction cost estimate of $390,000 to $450,000. 

Found a house that looks like it needs to be completely reconstructed.

I am reconstructed numbers to the best of what i could find. 

If IRS reconstructs your income with the bank statements, you need to have a audit trial of what all the money coming in are for. 

It's funny how events like these can refocus and reconstruct your perspectives on a lot of things.Suddenly, I started remembering the "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" book I ready a decade ago, and how much that changed my perspective of assets at the time, yet took no action about it. 

Her father was a famous brain surgeon in the area and had the foresight to buy a ton of property in Madison County when there was nothing up there.

If you are a surgeon making $200,000 a year then you can probably pay most major expenses out of your monthly income.Everyone's financial situation and risk level is different.

That being said, there are reasons you may want to hire an adjuster such as, not being able to meet with the insurance company adjusters, not being familiar with the coverage, not being familiar with the reconstruction process.On the claim process in general, gather what documentation you can on the items damaged or the parts of the house damaged.  

He had one of his more experienced staff reconstruct my books on their system, which includes, asset costs, depreciation etc. and reviewing the balance sheet, it was totally different than what I had.