If we eliminated property taxes houses would appreciate (although the ancillary consequences of eliminating property taxes may have a greater negative impact on property values) because people could afford to pay more for the house. 

Some lenders require formal appraisals and such which can impact your ability to close in a short window.

cant any body get portfolio/commercial loans as long as they have 20% down? 

Lastly, I get to make an impact on my community and that's kinda cool. 

It seems this will have a huge impact on commercial real estate, which I would think could lead to some opportunities but I can't figure out what!

We aren't planning on selling in our lifetimes but it could impact our son. 

Seems like a silly question when they pay that much and are good tenants.If those are Low-E windows, they aren't letting in very much heat and adding blinds will have minimum impact.

But I don't see it having any significant impact in any area.  

Therefore, these other things would likely be impacted as well:-  Taxes would likely be lower-  Insurance would likely be lower -  If the property were smaller, capex would be lower, as would turnover costs-  If the property were in a worse location, the standard finishes would likely be cheaper-  If the property were in a worse condition, the standard of living/repairs would be lower-  Property management costs would scale downward by a linear amount to the rentAdd up all those savings, and you'd find that you'd likely save $300/month between a house that rents for $1800 and a house that rents for $1200...

We haven't noticed them impacting rents.