However, I haven't been able to comprehend how a long term buy/hold investor would be significantly negatively impacted by fluctuations in the market...assuming of course that you have a property with a tenant that passed your screening criteria, you adequately prepared cash reserves for repairs/maintenance and cap ex, bought your property with a fixed mortgage, and essentially took the processes advocated for here on BP, I don't see how a long term buy/hold investor for rental properties would get burned?

For a mortgage it is making sure you have a long time low interest debt service locked in.Materials is having fixed pricing contracts where you do not have wild fluctuations in your wholesale cost.

Because I am in and out so quickly, large fluctuations are not prevelent.I would go further, but I fractured my wrist this weekend and it is hard to type with one hand.

I believe the cost fluctuates depending on what service you need or want. 

Because the models are so different, the exact same stats can produce wild fluctuations in the score depending on the model.What's more important is to look at the report, too, even though it takes more time:Any recent bankruptcies, collection items (and a lot of people are more forgiving of medical related debt)?

Our plan is long term buy and hold so we hope we can survive some fluctuations due to the cycles by having cash reserves.

If the bank is lending wrt good standards, one can assume mortgage issuance is somewhat stable year to year (or fluctuates slightly with interest though I wonder if interest rate actually deters primary home buyers at all).

I am also in market that you cant buy and cash flow out the gate, we are also on the high end of the market fluctuations right now in So California. 

You mentioned niche, so that has me curious.I feel as though San Diego has a fluctuating and semi-transient community, and also a long list of probate opportunities, so I am thinking of potentially starting in the wholesale realm and if I can secure some seller financing deals, I will hold them for rentals.

Prices seem to fluctuate a lot more than residential rentals .