Third, the typical person renting a room is not a home buyer candidate. 

When I encounter this type of client, I do everything I can to convert them into one of the previous clients.First thing I have them do is run all their income and expenses through a separate account instead of their personal account. 

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.

I have personally been the guy who hasn't pulled permits and got caught...by far one of the worst experiences of my investing career.

But you don't find the same person you did back when.

Still can be very beneficial for a new investor but personally I think not as good as a service as they had with their exclusive listings where they had inspections already done, rent rolls available, and you can complete the entire offer/acceptance via their platform rather than being handed off to an agent. 

Keep it short and respectful of their time, and offer to meet in person if they’re open to it.Join Tacoma-specific Facebook groups.

It's an exciting journey that can offer both financial rewards and personal satisfaction.

Explore my personal favorites, Set For Life by Scott Trench or The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey, for invaluable financial insights.3.

Quote from @John Fleming: I don't have any personal recommendations, but something below may help you in the search.Start by going to www.narpm.org to search their directory of managers.