This is more of a reach goal for me since I am still in my "collect 4 green houses before trading up to a red hotel" stage, but I thought I would ask the hive mind anyways.

As a Canadian looking to invest in the states I’m wondering if there is any like minded Canadians in here who would be willing to chat! 

Is refinancing not an option in your mind because of the high pre-payment penalty?

Be mindful of a gift tax implications if you sell a house for less than FMV.Also be mindful of transactions between related parties when selling at a loss.

How I would go about it is bring a deal to someone ( a friend or colleague) that I knew had money, offer them the terms I have in mind and continue until I find one.

I encourage you to dive deep into forums, listen to podcasts, and connect with like-minded individuals.

I ended up taking a different path.Also keep in mind some brokerages will require you to pick one or the other.  

we ran into this in FLA  a few years back when I had 4 starts and I exited that market.. permits  sub base all pretty tough for someone who is not there and already knows the systems hands down and has a devoted loyal sub base.. thats the key in my mind.

Well, who in the right mind would type "we buy houses in city state" when they want to SELL a house?!

In doing so, bear in mind that the cost and admin of a corporation is higher and that the tax treatment is different:1.