The cap rate and cash-on-cash were very appealing.

The Administrative Adjustment saves time and money because it is a faster "in office" process; where as the Zoning Variation would require you to  present an official case to the Zoning Board of Appeals by getting added to the schedule of one of their monthly ZBA hearings.

What sort of appeal would work with a reasonable owner/ manager, and what to do if that action isn't effective? 

Great curb appeal.

The Midwest in general has an affordable appeal for REI.

We kept it cosmetic to keep it affordable for our end buyer, we wanted our list price to appeal to the masses for affordability.

I have contemplated partnership before but it just never appealed to me.  

So understanding what is appealing to your network and what is worthwhile for you is good first step.Hope that helps.

I had solid comps and cordially told the assessor I would appeal at the next public meeting. 

The cities are becoming increasingly appealing for investment opportunities and are competing with larger "gateway markets" such as Los Angeles, New York City or San Francisco, for those dollars.The other cities on the “rising star” list are Austin, Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Miami, Nashville and Raleigh.The line between gateway cities and growth markets such as Denver is likely to become more blurred in the near future.