Original, decorated with period antiques and rugs, an old grandfather clock, a river otter taxidermy, and a 80-year-old map of the Great Smoky Mountains above the fireplace. 

I was from CT and Boston originally.  

As luck would have it, his business had grown significantly, and he was now more eager than ever to acquire the land.He made me an offer 12 times higher than his original one—and well above market value.

Great credit scores and plenty of income from my W-2 source. 

If I were in your position starting out at a young age I would focus on building my credit score first.

The second year we only spent $25,000, and achieved our original goals.  

The second lot had the remnants of a tennis court the original owner had built, but was now in disrepair.  

We are looking into getting a fixer upper and plan to rent out our original residence ( Zillow says we can get $2700 median rent in our area ) while moving and fixing up the new house.

Assuming your property is in Utah (like your profile indicates), here's the state law from a basic internet search:In Utah, a tenant who abandons a rental property without notice is liable for the lesser of the following: The rent remaining on the leaseThe rent plus the difference between the fair rental value and the agreed-upon rentThe cost to restore the property to its original conditionThe landlord can also remove the tenant's belongings and sell them if the tenant doesn't claim them within a reasonable time.

Count on the rate to be at least 1% higher than where you'd be for a primary residence, and to maybe even cost a little in points depending on the program, your credit scores, etc.Happy to help you think on this more if you want to setup a call.