Cash out: $55,000All money out plus roughly $3,500 in pocket.... principal and interest $767/monthCash flow estimated at roughly: $200/monthMy plan would be to refi around year 4 or so before the adjustable rate kicks in.

ONly money spent securing the house against waste.

Just needed for some tips on saving and managing money better .  

hard money How did you add value to the deal?

So many variables can turn a deal sideways from 1 hour to the next - i.e. inspection findings, title issues, contracts, financing issues, taxes, dept. of buildings/local municipalities, etc.I'm glad to hear you made it through the challenges, and it sounds like you'll be able to leverage this experience as you grow your portfolio.All the best to you along your journey!

Really established our finances and money goals.

Why Part of a Good Deal is Better Than 100% of No DealHey BiggerPockets Community,As real estate investors, we all want the perfect deal—the one where we control everything, make the most money, and have the best terms.

An other advantage of paying with credit card may be that you will not have to send the provider a 1098 tax form (only an issue if the total yearly amount is over $800). 

He needed to close in three weeks and didn’t want to deal with showings, contingencies, or the back-and-forth of working with a realtor.At first, we even suggested he list with an agent since he’d likely make more money.

I'm going to reiterate what's already been mentioned above, but I'm going to actually give you examples of why it's relevant to you to find a U.S. tax professional.1 - You're going to need to file U.S. taxes once you have property down here, there's federal filings, state filings, and sometimes local filings too2 - Tons of tax treaties between the U.S. and Canada that are easy to miss and can cost you a lot of money (important one with rentals - effectively connected income - if the professional you talk to doesn't know what this is, run away)3 - The amount of days you spend in the U.S. needs to be tracked and if you go over a threshold, all of your worldwide income could be taxable by the U.S.4 - Selling real property means up to 15% of your sales proceeds might not be available to you for years (FIRPTA)5 - Lots of nuance at the state and local levels, which both want to take as much money from you as possibleMain takeaway here is that you should find a U.S. based tax person.