Unless you are getting your windows from Home Depot or Lowes (or something equivalent) there is usually a window manufacturer who then has a list of distributors in your area. 

Caterpillar Manufacturing broke ground on their new headquarters a few blocks away.

I owned my own manufacturing business for 16 years until finally calling it quits about 6 years ago due to dwindling sales brought on by the recession, which turned out to be a blessing in that it led me to a career I thoroughly enjoy and was meant to do.I started thinking about real estate while selling a piece of commercial land I owned. 

One client looked at renovation loan, then just bought with 20% down, and after closing financed RTA cabinets, flooring, etc. on 2-year no interest loans, purchased custom windows direct from manufacturer, has licensed electrician and plumber helping him outside their job on weekends for much reduced rate, etc. 

this is clearly the fun/storage wars/small-time heist option.i also emailed first alert, the manufacturer, and they told me that if i send them a notarized statement of ownership ($15 for notary) that they'll email me the combination. this way i'll end up with a $120 not-so-safe of my own. i could sell it and make a few bucks or keep it long enough to forget it in a property at which point one of you fine people will buy the place and exercise option 1: attack it with a crowbar. plan is to open it up on sunday. i'll post what i find.

The other is a foreclosed manufactured home on 3 acres I could get cheap I think & rent.

With a manufactured home, for flip purposes, would you go with laminate or hard wood? 

I put 8 smoke alarms in my single-family rental - Lowe's sold a 6-pack of the model I used, and then I bought two more of the same model individually.Also note that if wired detectors are required, they may not all have to be exactly the same model, but they do probably all need to be from the same manufacturer. 

Became an immigrant 4 years ago... spent 2 years in Forest Grove, Oregon and moved here in Dallas a year and a half ago for a job. 17 years experience in electronics manufacturing but zero experience in real estate.

I've tried close to 20 others, even our small town local banks but they no longer would consider pre '76 manufactured homes whereas Becky and First Union were willing.Good luck