Avoid basing it on uncontrollable factors like taxes or insurance.

Only a few can persist in the long term and adapt to this uncontrollable situation.

Purchase price: $690,000 Cash invested: $172,500 Took a gamble on a larger single family home in an up and coming master planned community.

There is a gamble there that the second appraisal comes in at or below the first.

Stock picking is gambling pure and simple. 

At any rate it is possible, but depending on your appraisal it could be a gamble

:Syndication multi-family investments are riskier and have less upside than gambling in Las Vegas.

this is only a good idea if you have reason to believe that the area will be appreciating quickly, which is called speculation and akin to gambling not investing. me personally, I would rather put my money on black than bank on market appreciation. negative cash flow rentals are a time suck and money suck.

Also, to track spending habits - just had a prospect withdraw their application when we asked why they were spending half their income on gambling websites.

I think it's a gamble for someone 2000 miles away - could do well or badly.