If you want to be a landlord and real estate investor, you'll have to learn how to screen and manage your own tenants--it's a fundamental part of the gig, so the sooner you learn how to do it, the better.2) "Is now the right time to get into the market?" 

@Bryan Otteson I want to purchase 2-4 units turnkey properties first because I wanted to secure passive monthly income ($10K-$20K/month) giving me the flexibility to learn under a mentor's wing the fundamentals of syndication.

I want to make sure I am not missing something fundamental. 

Have you already read the Ultimate Beginner's Guide here https://www.biggerpockets.com/real-estate-investing, it would be a good book to teach the fundamentals of investing that should work anywhere. 

Fundamentally it seems that a majority of realtors don't understand that any property that produces income should be priced using the net operating income method.

I think i tackled most of the fundamental ones, Napoleon Hill, Stephan Covey, Hal Elrod. 

I really wish the basic fundamentals of home ownership, investing in real estate and financial independence were taught in school.

@Cecile Poyet the fundamentals of the housing market in 2006-2007 were a mess which lead to the housing collapse, however, today the fundamentals and mechanics of the market are good so while there may be a slow down in housing there will not be a collapse.As other experts @Russell Brazil @Caleb Heimsoth and @Jay Hinrichs mentioned if you hold for the long term it doesn't matter the value of the asset.You buy low sell high. 

Biggerpockets helped us compile a lot of information and learn the fundamentals.

@Sean Bramble There is a fundamental saying in real estate investing ‘You make money when you buy, not when you sell’