I have no idea if they are friends, relatives, or lovers. 

Gambling is short-term speculative play; that's flipping,  that's Vegas slots, sports betting.

@Derek Morrison I list “typical qualifications” in my rental listing then have a specific email response to inquiries that again lists my “typical qualifications,” along with an attached application form, that if they meet those, they can request appt x day for 20-minute time slot, and I only accept applications after meeting them at the appointment.

That included the original Tulum lovers, who've moved on to other places when massive development ruined what they loved.

Something that @Don Konipol recently pointed out in another thread of mine is that successful real estate investors from all walks of life really do seem to share a unified trait: THEY LOVE REAL ESTATE.They're obsessed by it.

Be it stocks or real estate.If I want to gamble, I'll go to Vegas and loose quickly on the slots so I can have a cigar and enjoy a cocktail.Much success

I'm a land lover, I own 1200 acres and am also becoming a developer. 

I absolutely love real estate- researching it, discussing it, love working on home projects, etc.

1. you're right in the new ones from developers don't produce any cashflow. you might want to look at the secondary market to get better yields as the properties are already built and can cashflow right away. also easier to see comparable rents in the same development. check bank repos, distressed sellers and the like. you might also want to get a parking slot for added income as they can be leased out separately. it's also quite difficult to sell without one should you decide down the road. developers usually have an in-house leasing team to handle property management which we use for some of our properties.  

I love real estate investment and really don’t want to give it up and put my money in an index fund or some other passive investment vehicle.