I am gambling that the probabilities are much higher that China will avoid a major financial catastrophe for another decade but who really knows.

And of course, it's still very much a bank loan, and some things might not sway your way if you get a conservative underwriter.I'd still rather pay a higher rate for a 30-yr loan; I don't like to gamble on what the market is going to look like 5 years from now.

They did this because of spam.

It's about logic, not about uneducated gambling.

It's a gamble. 

These are all important to consider from a numbers standpoint, and analyzing a property off of nothing more than price and expected rent is a huge gamble.

Trying to avoid the cap-gains by renting it out is not a smart gamble. 

Why gamble an entire year full of problems and headaches over 120 dollars or whatever you are trying to save yourself/them?

I understand the small claims court route which is a tedious process and plus a gamble specially since i have to pay out of my pocket to initiate the process and there is no guaranty he will pay even if i win.

If you receive a $1,000 in rent you have a $1,000 in income (before you subtract expenses,) the irs doesn’t care if you deposit in in the checking account, gamble it away, lose it to a pick pocket, or literally light it on fire. the only advantage to putting the extra cash in a separate savings account would be to prevent stolen/fraudulent checks on a large account but I live with that risk and sleep just fine.