The trade-off is that the appreciation profit is locked in via the sales price agreed upon in the lease-purchase contract.Remember, no risk, no reward. 

So first step is to create a very detailed scope of work, then itemize everything that needs to be done in that scope by trade or category, and tally it all up. 

Counter-party risk is far too high for them to trade with you.

I'm looking into remote buying, for different reasons but would be interested in trading thoughts and experiences.

Are you willing to do what it takes to qualify for a mortgage (paying down debt, establishing new credit trade lines, etc.?)

Long existing trade lines are always good first line of defense in review.  

This seller will not cooperate in a re-trade price as has been made clear by the selling agent, thus, my only option is to back out at this point.

I worked as a Project Manager for a national builder in the Permian Basin and even as the #1 home builder in the nation we had nothing but difficulties finding, utilizing, and keeping trade labor not to mention out of state (or at least out of the area) suppliers and manufacturers.

Phillip I. has good advice - start going to some Meetups and networking, and trade off some of your other time commitments (watching tv, for example) and set up keywords here on BP . . and start reading it religiously as well as listening to the podcasts. 

When I used to practice law I would often see people that tried to do their own divorces to "save money on an attorney" and then didn't know the tricks of the trade that someone experienced would know and it would cost them tens of thousands of dollars over time