Recently I had a conversation with a friend and real estate agent who wanted to purchase a home.At the time, they were looking for an agent to represent their family on the transaction.

Wishing you @Michael Baum and the rest of my friends here a wonderful Thanksgiving.  

My friend recently told me of this scenario where the person I lease to would perhaps then double book individuals and keep deposits. 

Hello BP Community,As is very common I have friends who purchase their rental houses under their own name in order to get lower interest rate loans with better terms and also cheaper landlord insurance, and then they transfer the title into their LLC after closing. 

Sounds like your friends didn’t do their due diligence...

We would love an air bnb there to visit family and friends though! 

absolutely... but be careful... be smart in what you invest in... trust me my friend https://www.biggerpockets.com/...take warning ... be smart... be vigilant

Like @Nicholas L. said, maybe look within a reasonable driving distance from where you live, is there any city or state where you have family or friends that live there where you could travel to frequently and they could keep on the property for you or somewhere you visit a lot.  

I have made friends with City of LV and my property meets all requirements and is in a “ clear” zone on the map.

Some areas/neighborhoods are more STR friendly than others.