Mortgage Payments (25-30% of Income)Rule of Thumb: Set aside 25-30% of your rental income for mortgage payments.Why: This ensures that your mortgage obligations are always met, reducing the risk of default.2.

I started out with a smaller deal to reduce the overall risk just in case since I still wasn't 100% trusting.

Which reduces Cap rate.4.

What I would really like is to meet a local agent or broker who deals primarily with RE investors, commercial or resi, and just spend a day shadowing you, seeing what the job involves, and learning.

Hey @Anna Stohlmann - congrats, you've hit that point in your REI journey where traditional mortgage products will not work (unless you bring a ton of cash to the table to reduce LTV). 

This means they want to see that you’re invested in the project by contributing your own funds, which reduces their risk.

A SALE at SOME (reasonable) reduced sales price with the BUYER then agreeing to LEASE BACK the home to her for 24-36 months seems like the best path to pursue.

If the tenant is paying the HOA fee, you may have to reduce the rent rate to make it make sense. 

It reduces risk by having them know the laws which are extensive (down to needing a compliant monthly statement) etc.The other component is no chance I could do it for that price either.

You can generally claim a foreign tax credit on your Canadian tax return for the U.S. taxes paid, reducing your Canadian tax liability by the amount of tax paid in the U.S.Capital Gains: Canada taxes capital gains at a rate of 50% of the gain.