NEVER make an investment decision based solely on percentages. 

But the plan is to add a contingency to the offer based on the second apartment.

So I should not be running my numbers based on the property taxes on the MLS listing or on websites such as Zillow?

@Dylan Greytak I'm a big proponent of Section 8 housing for a good strategy for landlords, I think it can be a valuable tenant base, you just have to screen them just as any other tenants.

While we are away, should we simply pay off the mortgage (it will take me approximately 5yrs based on my calculations of additional payments I can afford).

The ones that do usually base rates on the 10-year swaps and 5-year swaps, and those have been trending up for the last 3 weeks.I'd expect rates for AZ to be around 8.5% right now, which hurts, knowing so many DSCR lenders are 7.5% right now.

I know there are a lot of petty casual answers to this but i want to learn more about todays market and what's gonna happen IN YOUR OPIONION based on your past real state buy and sell experience...

@Ivan RivasOPM - Other People'sMoneyWe do 20Flips/BRRRRs per year and we fund with a combination of Hard Money and PrivateMoney.Hard Money will fund90% of the purchase price and 100% of the rehab on a draw schedule. 

High yield savings account or CD or treasuries at close to 5%, so over the 4 years you have at least the 25K opportunity cost as a base case...

Maybe go to the city personally and try to talk with them but if you look at the tax records and see the assessed value thats what your taxes are based on.