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.

Stop hanging out with your deadbeat buddies that spend all day drinking, talking sports, and otherwise wasting away.

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

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

Between work related stuff, conventions, friends/family visits, pro/college sports, kids travel sports, concerts etc etc there are a billion reasons why people visit places like Sacramento and other cities that aren't your typical vacation destinations.

Both homes are waterfront properties on a boating, sporting and fishing lake in East Texas.  

I have never done a land trustWe have a living revocable trust that we set upHonestly I should have done it 15 years ago but did it like 6 years ago.I do not see the need for a land trust unless you are a politician, actor or athlete (someone who is famous).I have done business with multiple billionaires (not bragging but trying to make my point) including several that owned professional sports teams - and even they did not use land trusts…