The sad stories of money lost are too numerous to ignore.

Search the BP for ADU appraisals to encounter numerous examples.

I can give you the direct line to the guy I use at a national firm on all of my rentals. 

3 recent national studies show that the rent to value ratio is at an all time worse (what they really studied was cheaper to rent than buy, but there is strong correlation).  

Rents and property values rise pretty steadily in our market at a rate about 2-3X the national average.

The downside is they usually come with higher interest rates and shorter loan terms.Partnerships or Co-signers: If your husband or a trusted partner has U.S. legal status and credit history, they might be able to co-sign or help with financing.Cash Purchases: Since you have savings in Canada, you might consider using that for your first property, especially for a smaller rehab project.Foreign National Loans: Some lenders specialize in providing loans for foreign nationals.

Where these numbers are found, there is a very high rate of rent actually being paid.We have over a dozen Fortune 500 companies just in Metro Detroit with huge Healthcare, Auto, and mortgage industry National footprints.

Its a local business, not a national service which gives me more comfort as I'm not a fan of "home warranty."

I recall reading somewhere Memphis had the highest vacancy rate for a city that size in the nation.

@Eric LoweIf you cannot find a local firm, reach out to these experts who operate national firms:  @Bernard Reisz, @Yonah Weiss, @Julio Gonzalez.