*sigh* .. i'll never understand these complaints..
1) This mod is supposed to be hard.. it's explicitly explained everywhere and everyone will tell you that.
2) There are people who play this mod without unbeatable obstacles or complainings what-so-ever.
3) Even if you don't meet unbeatable obstacles, you can't expect to proceed as fast as other mods around.. (if you "finish" a game under 800 days it's *clap clap* here..)
4) Tournaments are an example.. if you expect the native difficulty, you're in for a beating.. more so if we take noldor tournament in consideration.. even in end-end-end game, you can die before having the time to say "oh, an arrow!".
Not to be rude but.. complainin' like that and you're just pointin' out that you're not as "experienced" as others who play "here" .. so.. well, we're glad that you use a topic to let us know it, but it's not a problem of the mod..
Just toss a 1/4 reduced damage if you really can't win tournaments.. if that's not enough.. well.. wrong mod..
Goin' straight to your questions:
1) I'm not sure i understood "buy a land" .. you mean you built stuff there? you'll lose income if you lose the town.. be it they conquer it or you leave the faction
2) Yup.. they're yours for the taking as long they're under the limit level.. speaking of heretics, doomguides are in fact good troops