If you just look at appreciation it's not any different from gambling.

Does your wife want you to play a game and gamble your money, or does she expect you to do your homework, learn the market, and invest in something that will bring maximum return with the smallest risk?  

The gamble is don't overpay at the auction.

Have you seen a documentary called The Retirement Gamble?

If you place $20k bet on Mayweather - and McGregor wins the fight... you will win your hedge ($1,367) but lose the $20k... ie how gambling works.I am not sure of Bovada and maybe their rules on betting but straight line sports betting is binary

I got a Freddie Mac loan over the summer and in my net worth I included a sizable UK pension (I just provided latest statement).

Multi-Family (40 units and up)Leveraged (Investors put up max 25%, Bank finances the rest) Value-Add (Finding ways to increase property value and rent)Cashflow Positive (Cashflow positive once stabilized) Refinance & Hold (The ability to pull out 50-100% of our initial capital while keeping the property)Skin the Game (Enough so they're not just gambling with other people's money)  The above seems doable so far by going through a syndicator, although I haven't seen many who want to buy and hold the properties for cash flow and allow investors to pull out their initial investments after a few years.

I am based in the UK (outer London) and quite new to the property market but I have my objectives of what I want to achieve.

A similar phenomenon has been noted in London in the UK.

The whole idea is to get as much money in origination fees as possible to keep running the company and for them to pull out and use for trips, lavish lifestyles, rings, gambling etc.