This also contributes to the seemingly uncontrollable debt level (as the population declines the govt. collects less revenue, issues more bonds, etc.). 5.

Even for scrap to recoup some of my gamble $. 

We're taking it slooooow, and don't want to gamble with our savings. 

But that’s not nearly my craziest story....We had a tenant who ran an illegal gambling ring, the biggest one in Denver at the time until he got caught.

If I wanted to gamble I would take my money to the stock market.

In my opinion, you are gambling, with your Financial Future and Well Being as well as everything you have worked, to create.

Surely, any investment must fit one's plan, and risks can be logically evaluated, but a certain profit cannot be accurately calculated..it's always a gamble in real estate.

You could look in the 44105 zip code, but it's still a gamble.

I like the gamble because it's hard to imagine rates not dropping over the next few years, at which point we'll see 5 million qualified home buyers per point, driving up demand and prices while you're able to reduce your carrying cost. 

Rate buy downs are a band aid like you claim. they are sold with the idea that rates will be lower in the future when your buydown expires and you will be able to refinance it into a fixed rate. that has been the major push since rates began spiking. its gambling on the future interest rates being lower, therefore, it allows a larger pool of homebuyers to be able to afford higher prices with temporary lower interest rates, so logically home prices wont budge much, still enough to be down in most markets based on the aforementioned article, and by even your own market, real estate has not beaten inflation the last 12 months.