" I want this app, or portion of the website to be completely from scratch using html, css and javascript and learning whatever I need to to conquer each step. "
I absolutely love that you said this, as this is a very basic fundamental principle that most new devs/designers seem to ignore, so good on ya!
I actually built a custom real estate app for a local real estate office, and while I was not nearly experienced as a web dev, I insisted to continue along and learn as I go, and boy did I learn a lot :)
The best advice I can give is to go in with low expectations and look at it as a learning opportunity. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, in fact, I encourage you to embrace mistakes, and learn from them!