The $970k to $1.1mm would be what that particular lender believes your
credit score and associated financial data support. If you read the
fine print, you'll undoubtedly see the offer is "subject to appraisal".
The mortgage co isn't going do an actual appraisal for all of the
thousands of letters they send out to a block of FICO scores, but
certainly will before they lend any money.

Dirt must be dirt cheap back there. Don't you have some waterfront
acreage? We've got 50-year old cottages on single lake-front lots
selling in the millions and multi-millions aroud here. The game is to
get either a single large lot or a couple of small adjoining ones, rip
down the structure, and build a new home. Would be nice to be able to
spend a couple of million for an old house- just to flatten it and make
way for
a new luxury house that will cost another million or more to build. Not
in this lifetime, at least for me.