There have been a number of threads here talking about hiring developers off of free lance sites. The basic algorithm seems to be: Attempt to hire ~25 people f

There have been a number of threads here talking about hiring developers off of free lance sites. The basic algorithm seems to be: Attempt to hire ~25 people for a sample project of known difficulty. Of those 25 something 5 will respond and have good enough english to hire at their requested rates. Apparently a surprising number ghost even at this stage. And having some back and forth communication will help suss these people out. Of those 5 maybe one will be worth working with again. But basically the consensus is try before you buy is the only way to avoid big costs later.