I do live near you, dear—Maryland is such a small state we’re all pretty close—but am a little too old for you. ;-)
My know-how was gained through those nice clinics they have at Home Depot that show you how to nail down your own flooring, put up drywall, lay ceramic tile, etc. Then I practiced. Then sometimes it didn’t work out and I cried, tore it out, and did it again. You can skip the crying part if you want.
I have to admit that even though I’m proud of the work I’ve done, some of it doesn’t compare to what a skilled professional can do. Tradesmen who know their craft are really admirable, whether they are plumbers, electricians, sheetrockers, or (especially) carpenters, and on those rare occasions when I’ve had someone in to do work I couldn’t handle, watching them was as inspiring as it was instructive.
It is the small details they miss the finishing off. Even though I admit they do better than I can and even better in some ways than my mum did though in her younger days her paper hanging and painting was pretty good.
Nowadays I compare them with Phil and have to admit he is much more exacting and does a better job the only draw back with him which he admits is speed he will take probably 5 or 6 times longer than someone doing it everyday. The end result though is probably 5 or 6 times better.