Financing options for a Canadian (and a Brit) in the US

[Brianne H.]

Hi, I am fairly new to BP and am considering investing in the US. I am quite familiar with financing options and rules in Canada, but the US is a totally different ball game. I'm still in the process of just starting out and researching different markets, but I would like to buy small multis (duplex/triplex/4 plex) for our first few investments. 

I'm wondering what options are out there for financing to foreigners - I am Canadian, my husband is British (and Canadian permanent resident). From what I've read, there's usually an extra 1-2% interest charge for conventional mortgages. What options are there for <20% down payment? What other options are out there that would be ideal for financing a rental that I may not be aware of? 

I've heard mortgages in the US take 45-60 days to process (!) Is it that long for everyone, or just non-Americans? How does that work? Is the property still only conditionally sold until the mortgage is fully processed, 2 months after you've put in an offer? Is it also true you have to be physically present in the title office on closing day? 

If a new corporation was to buy the property, how does financing work for that? Am I correct to assume that the corporation would still need to be backed by a personal guarantee? If the property is in a corporation's name, is it acceptable to have only one shareholder sign all the documents and be present on closing? 

Thank you for any answers and advice!