I think they’re gold mines and I’ve heard of some others that are  catching on.

The tax benefits have been the largest source for cash income so far; in future years this will likely be lower because much of our tax savings has been due to one-time costs related to purchasing and furnishing a new property.

If not what is the best way to reduce my tax payment to what it was originally and is it possible to prevent increases in the future?

@Joseph Henry Renting could net you $2800/month and offer tax benefits like depreciation, but you'll face future maintenance costs for the furnace, A/C, and roof.

A cost segregation study looks at a property you own to breakdown the various assets you purchased.The goal is to increase the depreciation expense by finding assets that have an asset life less than 27.5(residential) or 39 years(non-residential).Whether you should get a cost segregation study done is whether you will benefit from the study.Will you be able to use the added depreciation now or in the near future?

Just trying to talk out loud and I dont have alot of "like minded" people around.I agree that the house in Cali is an asset that has the most potential for future scale so it would be hard to get rid of unless there were better options out there.

You grow HSA over years and then in the future you can distribute from the HSA tax-free to reimburse yourself. 

It was cheap with minimal renovation, but I’m also using this property to build a solid team so my structure will  be strong enough for multifamily purchases in the near future 

The writer is predicting the future, based on current information.  

Determine which units need work done to get them up to market rent, which tenants may be a future problem, and which units you can simply increase rents without major upgrades.Depending on where you are located, the size of the unit, etc. you may be able to get up to $1,800/month in Bridgeport for a 2-bedroom.