All Forum Posts by: Giuseppe Pavone

@InYoung Choung I'm a fellow Canadian who moved to the US about 4 years ago.  Have you tried RBC?  They have a U.S. presence also (although it's virtual), and I was able to EASILY get a U.S. credit card from them and they based it off of my Canadian credit (I was still in Canada at the time).  They also may have mortgage options for you.  I've dealt with TD also but found RBC to be much easier to work with for cross-border purposes.  Let me know if I can help in any other way.  Good luck!

Hi Elliott.  I'm a fellow Canadian who moved down to Florida about 4 years ago to invest in real estate full time.  Anything I can do to help please let me know.  Good luck!!

@Ramon Ruenes this is a common misunderstanding from attorneys. Yes I bought the franchise before the visa because you have to invest the money before applying. And it is a legitimate E2 business. Send me a direct message and I'm happy to explain more and get on a call with you.

Hi Ryan.  I'm a fellow Canadian who moved down to Orlando to invest in real estate full time.  I've been using Abitos in Coral Gables for my accounting purposes (not necessarily entity set-up) so not sure if they're what you're looking for, but I've been happy with them.  Let me know if you need anything else.  Good luck!

I have a franchise in Orlando and I don't think my business would be where it is today if I hadn't joined HomeVestors.  Maybe not for everyone, and of course, several investors are very successful doing it on their own, but it was just what I needed to boost my investment career and if I had to do it again, I would.

@Nirra Fields have you tried RBC or TD?  It's been a few years that I checked but I believe they both provide US credit cards based on your Canadian credit history which will allow you to build US credit.  Beyond that, RBC had a couple of mortgage products which you may be able to utilize (for investment property or a 2nd/vacation home).  TD had mortgage products also but I found RBC's more favorable... at the time!  Good luck!

Agreed with both @David Vanlandingham and @Shawn McCormick

@Majid Asgari I enjoy working with Southern Title & Abstract.  They work with investors and are very knowledgeable. 

That's the one thing I really like about the US mortgages, is the 30 year fixed option, especially on investment properties. I wish RBC had that option. TD might but I think only up to 60% LTV as mentioned above. I just checked for fun a few days ago about what RBC had to offer and there does seem to be a 10-year fixed term (variable after as mentioned) on a 30-year amortization. So then it becomes a business decision based on where you think interest rates, house prices, rents, etc. will end up. Or perhaps you'll be able to refinance into something else 10 years from now!

RBC also had 2 options when I was in the market 4-5 years ago... for a 2nd home, they'd do 80% LTV, and if it was for investment purposes, only 60%. HOWEVER, at the time, I believe they said as long as you use it a certain amount of time for personal use, you can rent it on a short-term basis for the balance of the year, if you wanted to utilize the 2nd home / 80% LTV option. Not sure what the options and terms are now.

@Mike Lambert @Account Closed I should clarify, my apologies for the confusion...

When I suggested contacting RBC and TD, I meant their US locations. This is different from their Canadian counterparts and I view them almost as separate banks which they kind of are as they're located in the US and abide by the US rules for banking and mortgages (again, RBC has no physical locations but I think they're headquartered in Georgia, and TD has several locations across the US). I know RBC at least (not sure about TD still) will offer a mortgage that is a true US mortgage (ie. not a Canadian mortgage for US property), so the terms are different but the rates can still be very competitive. For example, RBC offers adjustable rate mortgages (ARM) which is a US type of mortgage (not sure if it's offered in Canada). Main difference here though is that after the 5, 7 or 10 year term is up, you don't refinance like you would in Canada, it would flip to a variable rate for the balance of the 30 years... at least that's how it was a few years back and I don't believe it's changed. The main point I'm trying to make is, I would contact RBC US and TD US and see what they can offer because for RBC at least, they'll offer an actual US mortgage to Canadians and use your Canadian credit. This is different than going to your local RBC in Canada and asking for a mortgage for a US property. Hope I'm making sense in all of my rambling (lol)