They have crushed their financial future gambling on future results.

An informed gamble along with aggressive advertising is usually your best bet in avoiding long vacancies in these neighborhoods.

Nobody has a crystal ball, so that's the gamble. 

ARMs are a gamble.

They're taking a bit of a gamble, hoping that once the building is finished, someone will want to buy or rent it,( however, if your in the growing markets you don't have to worry about that)These are the Pros :a spec build presents property investors with the potential for high profits, faster project turnover, design control, portfolio diversification, flexibility in property choices, and the ability to leverage market demand for increased returns on investment.

If it doesn't cash flow today, not sure what you're in it for.Banking on appreciation or lower rates is akin more to gambling than investing.

Aside from regulation, I also feel like there’s a gamble there because this market now seems to revolve largely around Chip & Jo.

They're simply unlicensed real estate brokers gambling that nobody in authority will find out that they're ripping off the public.Do all the back flips you want to try to rationalize what wholesalers do, but no matter how you slice it, defrauding people of their equity is a shameful way to make a living.

It seems there are some buyers who are gambling that rates will be lower in a year, so that when it comes time to refi, they'll be ok; I don't know but am guessing those are people using OPM and charging fees along the way.

That being said, buying for appreciation can often times be gambling basically.