Being a part of the local REIAs in both towns can help you understand more of what is going on.  

I have called my local credit unions and I can't borrow against the house because It has already been gutted and is deemed uninhabitable.

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.

Quote from @Marcus Ball: After struggling with local rehab properties in California, I switched to build-to-rent developers and chose a 1031 exchange.

For starters, I recommend to begin with a single family home or if you are looking to start locally, do house hacking. 

Even tried craigslist and local paper once.

I really want to do local meetups and interact with more advanced investors but don’t know where to start.

Tahoe isn't ideal right now as the local community is vehemently anti-Airbnb and the permitting system is challenging to navigate.

All that being said I don't know about if a salt hot tub is better per se, I know it's better for your skin and I'd say perhaps if you're in a very health conscious area like Joshua Tree, some folks might be attracted to the idea of a salt water hot tub.

Would love to connect with local RE agents and have an idea of the market situation in SA.