Find lenders, contractors, suppliers, property managers, etc.3) Find an experienced investor that is willing to help or coach you, you’ll be surprised.

A person has to deal with government officials, contractors, suppliers, inspectors, insurance companies, regulators, health departments, social services, police, and sometimes even military. 

If they have one main supplier for the raw materials, they are at the mercy of the supplier. 

Find lenders, contractors, suppliers, property managers, etc.3) Find an experienced investor that is willing to help or coach you, you’ll be surprised.

Does your GC have 'special' relationships with various suppliers (such as drywall crew, framing crew, etc) where he/she anticipates significant cost savings? 

If you think a $50 piece of new pipe is expensive, wait until you find out what an oil spill costs...If you want another opinion, without incurring the wrath of the county or city, you might ask the oil supplier. 

He has walked through the unit several times, visited a kitchen supplier with us, and done some legwork with the town on permitting.

I am in Wilmington NC, putting the final touches on my first flip, and I am stuck on a problem.I need to replace 2 corner pieces of vinyl siding and I cannot find the right size anywhere in town or even through special order.My corners are 3.5" and every supplier in town has 3" and/or 4" and that's all they can special order too.

Here all NG suppliers charge $40-45 for the privilege of having service.

I am new to real estate, but I have been in the construction industry for the past three years as a drywall supplier so I do have some local commercial and residential contractor connections in the coastal NC area.