If not, what should I plan for as far as saving up?

I had no money saved and an opportunity to purchase a house on land that had been in my wife’s family for more than 5 generations.

It might cost you a little but it could save you a bundle down the road. 

I think that would be a good idea, since the real obstacle for me is getting the savings for a down payment setup.

I'm a big believer in Diy, but you need to balance the savings of diy with the cost of holding the property.

Have a few properties and the guy who used to help me has retired.

If they don't qualify for a loan due to bad credit or lack of a down payment when they start renting the house, they will have a hard time saving up the necessary money and repairing their credit in the 2-3 years during an option period. 

I have 11 months left on my rental agreement and I’ll need that time to save for my first purchase, would it be a bad idea to see how much I qualify for now or should I wait?

I would try like hell to save up that $13k, and go at it by yourself.

Personal savings and consumer loan How did you add value to the deal?