Yes, Home Depot has a bid room for Pro accounts and anything over I believe $2500 can go through the bid room.We are picking finishes for a 284 unit deal we are closing in a few weeks and looking at ordering via HD Supply.Some items we may source directly from the manufacturer in China.

Also, your local manufactured housing association is a great source of information.

The team seems reputable, but it's also my first investment property and I don't want to get burned. 

I had no clue what I was doing and lied to cover that up, it ended friendships, gave me a reputation among sellers and buyers, it was hard to make anything happen.

Get yourself into a better financial position before trying to manufacture deals

I am having some trouble finding a reputable attorney in Southern California, around the Orange County area, that understands real estate investments, syndication, and appropriate business structures.

I am having some trouble finding a reputable attorney in Southern California, around the Orange County area, that understands real estate investments, syndication, and appropriate business structures.

I think it is awesome you have your eyes set on the future and want to set yourself up for when you feel you are ready to invest.It seems that you are looking for a "mentor" that will help you learn the fundamentals as you progress which is great; however, a lesson I learned is that it is difficult finding a reputable mentor without offering some sort of "value."

There are some things you can do to protect yourself, such as getting multiple estimates and sticking with contractors that are reputable (for example, I found that sites that have a rating that contractors need to maintain like Angie's List provides better contractors versus places like Craigslist where it's the wild West.).

The manufacturer Pergo has an online installation guide in .pdf form that details how to do this well.