Will this be the platform to do this? Sure. In fact, you can automate much of it, but as you said, you need to verify a bit of it yourself.

Here are a couple of mods that would help you get started:
VB Experience
You Replacement
iCash (you'd have to have some way for them to cash things in, and a way to add the store itself, but that's a start).

The only problem I'd see would be giving cash for 'kills', or quests, both of those might have to be done manually. The rest, I'm sure you could find a way to work with.

Even the 'public messages' (in profiles) part of VB would be an excellent way to carry on an RP based conversation.

This is quite possible to do, indeed. It'll just take a good bit of work to do, though if you find the right developer, it'd be great.

also think that your $1000 prob will not be half the amount you need.. myself i would stick with RPGinferno a lot of work has already been done on it and i would think there is a lot more to do..