Wanna buy a house?

In my house hunting trip last week, I found many houses unfinished, but "ready" to rent, that is, to take a down payment (of rent) large enough to give the landlord enough to finish the house.  One house needed $11,000.  I understand that some of us with justice issues might balk at giving someone an interest (and collateral) free loan so that he could have a house that you could then pay him to live in. But there doesn't seem to be any other way into the rental market here.

So I asked about the market to buy, which is basically people who have given up hope on finishing their house, and are willing (or need) to sell it.  This house was going for $37k.  Yes that is grass growing inside.  Yes there is no roof.  Yes the forms are still on the cement pillars. And local advice is that it would take another $20k to finish it.  And how much time?  Back to the rental market...