Even if the designs are truly eye catching and unique, I suspect a business based on tiny homes will be unprofitable unless conceived in a booming city that has a surplus of small lots and people ready to change their lives for a real reason like surviving property costs.

As a former employee at Intel, former resident of Hillsboro I agree this positions investors uniquely to benefit from this. 

However, like other tax rules each situation is unique to each individual and there are regulations that must be followed for the deduction to be applicable.What is an Investment Interest Expense?

Investors just need to look for unique opportunities that can compete in the current market.

In general, travel for business(education, networking) is deductible if you are already in a trade or business(I.E. have a rental, flip).There are unique rules to deduct foreign travel costs.attendees may have a more difficult time writing off the cost of the trip if they add significant vacation days(no business) before or after the trip.However, you can plan properly to make the trip 100% deductible.

Is this unique to Texas where I own the properties and the LLC? 

Each home has to be viewed independently as each has unique characteristics.

Each of these areas has its unique flavor and offers opportunities to invest in affordable yet attractive properties to potential tenants. 

The seller is my dad's mentor and the man who got my dad into buying rentals back in the 80's so I am toying with the idea of having my dad sponsor the deal to maybe help his willingness to negotiate.

Unrepresented buyers, how has this increased your unique leverage approaching without an agent?