Of course, over that time between my tax returns which I will put 100% towards saving for my down payment and (hopefully) increase in pay and promotions that time timeline could decrease but, for now my math is based off my current situation.

The answer is that we're doing it to funnel more money into our investments and decrease our reliance on our jobs for our income, but that doesn't always make sense to them.

Are you able to increase your cash flow (by bumping rents or decreasing expenses) in the near future? 

So in theory, if you successfully lower your property tax, that decrease in is spread around as a increase to every other property. 

Learn how others decreased expenses or did creative things to get out of debt.See if there are REIA meetings/groups in your area, and attend those meetings.

But many factors make that unlikely for most.If you are willing to put in the work bigger commercial apartments can build wealth much quicker and sustainably than there smaller counterparts.The default rate of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac multifamily loans was less than 1% during the 2007 recession (Cash Flow Performance of Fannie Mae Multifamily Properties: Evidence from Repeated NOI and EGI Indices*).If you can buy big apartment properties that cash flow and put them on long term agency debt its a very safe investment and if you can increase income and decrease expenses you can drive huge capital appreciation.

Those measurements grow and shrink as population density decreases.

You see, ROE (Return on Equity) - in normal circumstances - decreases steadily over a period of years. 

However rates are near historic lows so you have a much greater chance of seeing an increase as opposed to a decrease, thus making a 5/5 even more appealing (as you mentioned). 

Sometimes you will find dampeners on the ductwork ( metal ducts )  If so you can decrease the flow to the downstairs , which in turn helps with the upstairs