Not sure on the income requirement.. in the states as long as your paying tax on gambling winnings you can be a professional gambler and use that income for loan purposes.WElcome to BP.. hope you make some great connections here.

unless you plan on never selling which of course most investors that start in this that's the second thing out of their mouths first thing is appreciation is gambling.. second is we are long term never going to sell.. 

You are gambling that home prices will continue to move up with a new family member coming and leaving after next year leaving a home run by itself.My nephew and his wife both MD paid by ROTC USAF captains bought a 4900 sf home on 2.5 ac in Boulder, CO.

And how do you make craigslist ads work without all the spam? 

I could do that In the stock market or go to Vegas and gamble.  

Starting your own business is a huge gamble, most fail quickly.....The only RE I ever did that was 'relatively easy'  is STRs....but still, high risk, hard work, all day every day.....

I checked the spam folder too. 

You can buy this and lose $3k per month while hoping the market continues to rocket to the moon, but that's gambling.

Way too big a gamble for all but the richest people.

If it is, and you have no reason to fear for its long-term safety (which I understand is a big question in Illinois,) I wouldn't cash out - a guaranteed monthly check sometime in the future is better than a gamble, even on real estate.