One of the key challenges I’m facing is understanding the financing options available to someone without Canadian residency or a local credit history.From my research, it seems that a 35% down payment is often required, with interest rates around 7.5-8.5% for non-residents.

Sometimes the long term capital gains are palatable and it may make sense for you to pay the tax rather than force a bad deal.

I truly feel bad for people who have to work instead of investing in real estate, especially those with kids.

It is better to have a vacant unit than a bad tenant. 

again, not a bad deal if they accept my offer.

I tell them the story of my neighbor whose pipes burst on the 3rd floor during a bad cold snap. 

If you want something that looks nice Article and Castlery have some great looking stuff without breaking the bank too bad ($2-3K range).

Now 3 of the 5 taxing authorities give a credit for doing them on time which can be as high as $150 savings for me each month and I am not sure I would get that using Avalara.

Another possibility could be a home equity line of credit (HELOC), if you have sufficient equity in another propertyGood luck with your project!

What documents do they require, what credit scores do they allow, how do they verify previous rental history, etc.?