I do know that the brown or tan on some of the higher end (cost wise) windows were an extra surcharge so I would say that before you go head to head with the HOA you might want to shop your project around to a number of window suppliers/installers and see what other quotes you get (but perhaps you've already done all that).

A property owner can usually get credit at the box stores and suppliers, many owners` can't do the work or pay labor and a RE commission.

For the property that had granite counter tops, I went with a local supplier.

This deal was acquired through one of our off-market suppliers.

I deal with building inspectors, subcontractors, suppliers, and laborers on a daily basis.

In thinking about how to structure the deal I have been thinking about all the stakeholders (tenants, staff, suppliers, owner) and how they would benefit from continuity in the business. 

I do new construction projects and there are investors like me in my neighborhood who do similar deals and our costs even vary widely because of supplier relationships, specific finishes we use, labor costs, etc.  

Any one have any recommendations on local places to buy material.
I am looking for roughly
1000sqft of vinyl plank
700sqft of carpet
15 gallons of paint
75sqft of granite countertopStainless steel kitchen appli...

We are starting our second flip in Austin and are searching for suppliers other than Home Depot, Lowes, Lumber Liquidators, etc.

I'm in our procurement department, so I spend all day working with our suppliers of both goods and services, helping folks at our resort properties sort through issues, finding strange/large/expensive/hard-to-find items, and bidding out items that we need for various projects to generate savings for the company.