As mentioned you can do a lot with outdoor space without breaking the bank.

Private lenders or bridge lenders may also be a good fit, as they tend to offer more creative solutions compared to traditional banks.

Once you know your price range and what you want to put down if using financing you can typically have a bank approval same day.Once approved if not paying all cash you talk with your agent or even self-explore and use the listing agent in most cases.

So, for example Washington might survey a 1 million acre estate, offer to purchase 550 premium acres (or accept such as payment for his services) and “bank” those 550 acres for future development. 

How do you deal with people that don’t want to give user name and password for bank accounts, to verify income?

I'm sure there are existing homes in the area for you to purchase.I agree that developing is a bit much to take on as a beginner but putting 20% down would get rid of PMI and would make the bank more open to loaning to a young investor I would imagine. 

I have worked with at least a dozen banks over the last year. 

They usually have a specific court or courts that handle the cases.Most jurisdictions in large counties have some of the info online.

Alternatively, can I get pre-approved online or with my bank and go from there before shopping between lenders? 

Hard funds, PACE Fundings, and a mix of Private and Bank.