This made me mad because with that income I have no real assets, and made zero equity so I messed up and don't want to continue this trend.

If a market is dependent on one employer or sector (college towns and oil/energy for example), there are clear potential pitfalls.What I would suggest to look at where the trends are growing.

Or are there methods of mathematical analysis that better predict these trends?

With her help I learned the market, researched rental rates and trends then picked a few from Zillow or Trulia or the MLS. then caught a flight out, looked at 20+ properties and put in low-ball bids on 5.  

I've subscribed to a few newsletters - ATB Financial's The Owl and Canadian real estate wealth/news helped me start to get acquainted with the vocabulary and trends on a near daily basis.

Signing up for your local REIA (Real Estate Investors Association) meeting is a good way to network and learn about market trends in your town as well.

If the Great Recession 2009 is similar to the Great Depression 1929, does this mean there's a chance that interest rate may keep trending down until 2021?  

I've noticed this upward trend in pricing everywhere also, even auctions, and REO's. 

If enough of the charts are reaching trends or levels they regularly reach before something takes place, its probably worth paying attention.

The index uses nonfarm payroll employment, the unemployment rate, average hours worked in manufacturing and wages and salaries, state-level housing permits (1 to 4 units), state initial unemployment insurance claims, delivery times from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) manufacturing survey, and the interest rate spread between the 10-year Treasury bond and the 3-month Treasury bill.Declining trends in the leading index for the US tends to precede a recession.