You know your numbers going into it -- there were ups and downs, but it sounds like you could always gravitate back to the fundamentals and your long term vision. 

That being said based on the fundamentals of our market I am still flipping homes.

Or a paid gig at a real estate office near you is an excellent way to learn fundamentals and more of how real estate transactions work without needing a license.

The expense items you note are good fundamentals.

The fundamentals are strong!

For example principle pay down and appreciation alone often make up the bulk of the overall return so cash flow may not be as important as in other markets that aren't appreciating like Denver has historically (obviously impossible to say that will continue moving forward, but the market fundamentals are quite strong here and continued growth is highly likely IMO). 

I think you've recognized that you have to tailor your analysis to the fundamentals of your specific market.

First of all, I like this book, it is one of the fundamental books for every investor.

Markets are unanchored from fundamentals, and frankly always have been.

Tell me the one or two books that were fundamental to your success!