New to REI - Investing in the US while living in Canada?

[Madeleine Matson]

Hi everyone, my name is Maddy and I've recently made the decision to get into REI. I've been listening to the podcasts and doing tons of research, but I'd like to introduce myself and see if anyone would be able to offer some advice on my situation.

I am a US citizen from California, but my partner (who is a UK citizen) and I are currently living in Vancouver, Canada. We'll be here for the next 1-2 years and we both have full time jobs here. The market in Vancouver is insane, and since we're leaving anyways, I see no point in trying to invest here. However, I'm still wanting to get started sooner than a year or two from now. We have some money saved, but we don't have a ton of savings for a big down payment (looking to put down under 15-20k). 

Unfortunately because we live in Canada, the house hacking strategy isn't an option for us. Our ideal strategy would be going into short term rentals with Airbnb. I'm interested in possibly purchasing somewhere in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho. 

Does anyone know if it is possible to get a mortgage in the US while living in Canada and working a Canadian job? If so, any advice on how to get a down payment under 10% without living in the property for the first year? 

Thank you so much for any advice. 

Maddy