Do your research and make a good business decision based off of that and hopefully build a strong business model for the future.I rarely have a keyboard in front of me and usually do short replies on my phone.  

You are free to spend $800 worth of time and energy to save losing $100 if that supports your business model all you want.

You keep selling model homes over and over to buyers and can make six figures doing it.

Apparently, the theoretical models showed that passive house standards would cost just a little more than normal building costs to get much better energy efficiency, BUT when it was actually put into practice it turns out that the passive house building codes cost LESS than the previous standards to build and are more energy efficient.  

I suspect there's so much vacant land in TX this model just won';t pan out

Speaking with a CPA and attorney with real estate expertise before committing to anything would be a good idea.

We only just moved to the area a few months ago from Buffalo, NY, so I don't think I'll be able to help you with area expertise, but I can offer to you to check out the podcasts, join in conversation in the forums, and check out the Education -> Guides in the top menu of the BP website.  

So here is my case for So Cal:- Advantages of local including expertise, cost to get to property, able to self-manage if desired (typically ~10%).

I am joining BiggerPockets to obtain and further enhance my knowledge regarding Real Estate practices as well as meeting new faces that I can hope to provide assistance of my own as well as gain knowledge from them and their experiences.My expertise includes being involved in Public Relations and having worked in the Public Sector for many years.

I’m estimating the re model will cost 10k (so plan for 13), and the additional property about 17K with around 10k re modeling.I’m unsure if I should seek two loans one for each house or bundle them together.