If you brought your spouse and 2 kids with you, and you could argue all of your argue of your time on the trip was looking at real estate, and your personal business and activity circumstance defends being able to immediately deduct it and not treat it as a start up cost... likely 75% of much of the travel costs (airfare, food, etc) would be non-deductible. 

Thank you for all the great replies,Phillip DakhnovetsGuardian Property Management & Maintenance

Moreover, you have much higher overhead than most experienced investors.In a REIT you are missing out on all the tax benefits. 

I've since come to love the community and hope to become the type of investor that uses real estate to not only improve my life, but the lives of my partners, associates, and community as a whole.Looking forward to connecting with you all!

They are covering cost of insurance, taxes, utilities and all medical expenses which are rapidly draining their available funds.

Owners mistakenly ASSUME all PMCs offer the exact SAME SERVICES and PERFORM those services EXACTLY THE SAME WAY, so price is the only differentiator – so, they often select the first PMC they call or that calls them back!

We are building duplexes/Quads for investors all the time (currently at 2/week).

This has disaster written all over it.

I am ready to secure another property for STR that we will do all the work ourselves being that it is 6 houses away from our main house. 

@Chris G. any contract can be modified if all parties agree and sign it.Otherwise, your contract should have a renewal period or notice period with which either party can cancel.