I just want to give an overview of the characteristics of the city and people for the sake of adding any bit of valid information to your research.

A gamble on gambles of volatility moving certain ways in certain time windows..... 

I think going in to the deal guaranteeing 80% is a bit of a bold step, but it really depends on the address and the neighborhood characteristics. 

People mentioning that they put their life savings in something in hopes of a better future is gambling.

Now we are only saving $33,762.99 in interest (43.5%) and we have combined monthly payments of $632.41 + $304.16 = $936.57   Note:  I must presuming there is some assumption about the characteristics of the LoC or  how/when/if it gets repaid which I missed earlier in the thread ... otherwise ....     

Meeting strangers at a vacant property is always a gamble also.  

I know this may be an individual decision ultimately, but what types of land did you purchase, or what regions, or what characteristics and why?  

The part about people not believing in you or thinking its a gamble definitely hits close to home for me..

H1B lottery is a big gamble and adds a lot of uncertainty.

Instead of fixating on a strict 1%, 2%, or 0.7% rule, think of it as a flexible guideline that needs to adapt to the market and specific property characteristics.