We have MANY oregonians here and about 50% canadians as well as folks from all over the country.

Thanks Bill, Once again, I was inferring too many similarities between a 5-yr term ARM and a Canadian 5-yr variable rate mortgage.

Hello Fellow CanadiansWhat are your favourite books on real estate specifically for the Canadian investor?

Hello,Can Canadians with a LP setup obtain US mortgages/refinance?

[AND] You are caught off guard by this...There are owners in here who would not be at all caught off guard by this--because they understand their renters.Now you want to "Go Toe to Toe" with these people you seem to have very little understanding of as a front line Manager.That's all I have to say.Maybe other's can get more in to the meat and bones of the problems--I'm just addressing it globally. 

I am a Canadian investor venturing into the US real estate market.

I was looking for cashflow in the global financial crisis.

We have a Canadian corporation which owns a U.S.A. based child entity (which is incorporated).You could do something similar: incorporate a BV in the Netherlands (or in Monaco) which, in turn, could be the parent of an U.S.A incorporated entity (LLC or C-Corp) which would hold your interests in that country.I'm certain there must be other European investors on BP who have already established a similar structure.

If they are, the slightest hiccup (like say a global pandemic) can ruin your finances. 

That's little consolation, though...As I read the first few posts, all I could think was, "this is MF Global.