With existing improvements such as a shopping mall all the entitlement process is done and you know it passed.Unless you already have everything planned out and know what to anticipate and the pitfalls you can run into, get someone to team up with that has experience.

I would love to buy you a beer or coffee and see if we could work something out. 

Looking for folks who are experienced and are willing to meet over coffee or lunch to share their wisdom of course I will be buying :).

I can pull a flood map for you and you can go to an insurance provider and shop it.

I don't know much at this point but feel free to hit me up if you ever just want to talk shop.

It would seem to be that if you shop around there is surely a bank out there that will do less than 35% as a down payment, just my two cents.

You then hire a inspector to take a look and give your their report on the condition.No point in shopping if you are not ready to buy.

That being said you could find a portfolio lender and they make up their own rules. you really just need to shop around. 

I've found some decent deals but still shopping around.  

The prior owner was addicted  to the shopping networks on TV, I guess that's where their money went instead of mortgage ( foreclosed) .