I make decent money but am interested in Real Estate and want to gradually make it my full time occupation (not sure if this will be in wholesaling on residential side or commercial but feel as though wholesaling would be a good way to get my first taste of the real estate industry). 

Gradually, I came to almost hate rentals.Then our second mortgages paid off (we'd borrowed on our home and from family to get started), and we started actually cash flowing positive on a regular basis. 

Having said that, if you want to get into real estate suggest that you do part time by helping local wholesellers and do the following:1) make a list of wholesellers in your area 2) call them up and see if they will let you pick up anything on their marketing side and once you in you can gradually know more. 

Is that too much or should I gradually increase overtime.

There isn't much reason to believe that this area will continue to appreciate (not likely at this current rate, but more gradually) and it will be a great wealth builder for me in the years to come. 

Did you bring them gradually or just have them take everything at once?

Details of that lease can be found at tomveatch.com/re and you might also be interested in the Substitution Addendum which is similar but allows groups of tenants to replace themselves gradually, so that no new lease agreement (other than a one-page Substitution Addendum) needs to be worked out if someone wants to move out and the group has a good replacement person ready to go and the switchover can be done in good order. 

Do I try to gradually get him to $700 a month with a 3-5% increase each year?

It was been gradually snowballing, over months, maybe years, and during this time zero maintenance has been done on that house. 

Then they gradually lower the price.