Taxes are very high and everything is super slow and bureaucratic.

high interest rates have hurt cash flow and long term rentals are still a great investment... they're just not going to throw off rental income in the first few years of ownership.

I has two GREAT property managers that immediately come to mind, one handling 5 high end high rise condos I owned in Phoenix and the other one handling a 12 unit very lower end apartment building I owned in Arlington, Texas.  

BiggerPockets also has a calculator to analyze deals, and I highly recommend you start this as soon as possible, even if you are not ready to buy.

If you haven’t already, I’d scope out the municipalities around town.. from what I read in The Economist, the Phoenix metropo area continues to rank high for job growth, which usually bodes well for new builds.

.- The holder of a work permit does effectively become a tax resident as far as the CRA (Canadian Revenue Agency) is concerned at which point they will qualify for certain things such as purchase a house without being considered as the foreign buyer; hence, foreign ban hammer not weighing on them.

All the best, Steven  If you're going to do a partnership or even a joint venture agreement I would highly suggest using a competent lawyer to draft your business agreement.

3) What neighborhoods would you recommend in this price range if I'm targeting high quality tenants?

I just wasn't sure if it is my responsibility to do something if the electric bill is high and are not satisfied. do I have to be concerned about that?

Highly recommend (I require) collecting first month's rent prior to handing over keys.