Investing in Canada (Toronto & GTA)

[James Bauer]

Hey!!

I am new to the BP community and was wondering if I could get some guidance on investing in Canada or learn from someone who has explored this option before. A little about myself/situation: I am originally from Toronto but I am working in the US (declared myself as a non-resident in Canada) but wife is American citizen. Given that, I personally understand the Canadian real estate market a little better and have a biased opinion about it.

I was exploring the option of investing in Toronto/GTA area. My goal is to have a few apartments or town homes that I can rent out to generate some cash flow and then sell in 5-7 years. A few questions that I have:

1. If we were to have a company under my wife's name, could I then invest in Canada through that? Given Canadian and US taxes, is this even worth a try?

2. Is it worth investing back home as a non-resident?

3. How easy is it to get mortgage there based on your income here in the US? Is it possible to get mortgage under the condition if we were to have a new company set-up under my wife's name?

Looking forward to any input! Really appreciate your help and time.