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.

They originally listed at 500k. 

I'm based in Tampa and am happy to connect.I also have family in Chatanoogo and originally from AL, so I can help when it comes to those markets.

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.

Quote from @Devin James: Quote from @Dominic Mazzarella: Quote from @Devin James: Everything went wrong with this investment:   - Took 4 months longer than expected   - Cost $10K more to build than we anticipated   - Sold for $20K less than we anticipatedWe still profited with a 30% return on equityThis is why I love Real Estate InvestingWhen you do your diligence and stay conservative with your numbers, it takes something really bad to lose money.Here was the original post:My siblings and I are building a home in North Port, FL.Here are the numbers: - Finished Home Value: $412Kish - Land Cost: $19,750.39 - Construction & Permitting Costs: $304,897Additional costs: - Environmental Site Assessment - General Liability Insurance - Builders Risk Insurance - Construction FinancingWe will be listing the home this weekPhotos coming soon!! 

We prefer no debt (we are not from the US originally).

they make money servicing not originating new loans. 

They remain whatever the original borrower has.When you use typical financing from a lender, you have the lender's hoops to jump through and loan origination fees, the appraisal has to come in at a certain number, oftentimes an inspection or appraisal will kill a deal.