I would contact a few TOP real estate agents in your area to ask for referrals and why they use that title company. price is the difference I hear most people chattering about for choosing a reliable title company when its apple to apples.

This risk is often reduced by find reliable PM company and replacing the bad ones.... and done by referrals.I guess another way you could market yourself is to do an audit of the property that's under PM care, maybe something like for a flat fee you drive by take some pictures etc.

How/where would I find a skilled and reliable contractor in the area?

Or have a reliable contractor to do it for you. 

And even now the ex-spouse is not paying on the credit card and car payments, so definitely not a reliable income source.There is an interesting point to this whole story that another post touched upon - how does somebody who goes through a bankruptcy actually have a big chunk of money in the bank?

My biggest challenge is having a reliable handy man who can immediately get to repairs if I can't.

finding a reliable inspector whos up to date on whats up to code or has saftey risks. i had a home, during the the buyers inspection, point out to me the electeical box was a know fire hazzard and the septic tank was toast. both of which I have inspected and we're told we're fine. loss 4600 to fix in order to full fill the buyers contract!

Can anyone recommend a reliable Carpenter in the Indianapolis area?

If you can find a reliable neighborhood kid, looking for a few extra bucks that could be a solution too. 

Cheap: least expensive or comparatively inexpensive option.For example a frugal person when car shopping would look for a reliable used car.