If you purchase under the right terms, you should be insulated to a large degree from any reasonable short term fluctuations in the market ... to me, that is the very definition of the "right terms".

You can't easily add to inventory which can lead to mammoth fluctuations in prices.  

Rents typically follow closely behind price appreciation, but historical rent comps are harder to come by.With regards to crashing of the local market from time to time ... yes, getting great deals insulates you to some degree from short term market fluctuations.

I also know that commercial properties are valued on the cap rate and that those rates fluctuate all across the country and even within the same communities and may affect the same property over time.

Market fluctuations make me nauseous.

This would also help me when applying for loans as my income can fluctuate between real estate sales and building depending on what I am focused on. 

They usually can not get credit or bank loans because of their fluctuating income.

We learned so much but with so much market fluctuations during that time we didn't have any offers accepted.

My area seems to fluctuate pretty drastically from park to park when it comes to pricing.

I'm specifically looking around Killington / Chittenden area of Vermont, as I feel like that's a sought after spot.I'm curious as to how the vacancy fluctuates between the four seasons.