@Timothy GordonThere are no laws preventing or restricting you from purchasing real estate in Canada - possible exception being Prince Edward Island which restricts the amount land ownership to off-islanders (Canadians included).You will find financing is somewhat different than in the U.S.A. and when it comes to taxation, the CRA likes to get their payment up-front from non-residents.    

Account ClosedI'll let the locals comment on the actual price for the home inspection in your area.However, no matter how much is it, you have to look at it as the cost that prevented you from a bad investment!

I often break it down into the "five pillars" of protecting your assets.1st pillar is avoiding unnecessary and risky activities (don't drink and drive, insurance generally won’t cover your poor decisions) and take good care of your investments - these simple steps will help you prevent lawsuits before they even occur.2nd pillar is a good insurance policy as that cover the majority of your exposure.

Make sure the time you spend on your RE pays additional dividends in dollars, prevents you from having to fix something again or saves massive money.   

William - is there a way you're aware of to raise the beam to prevent damage from the walls / windows / mechanicals etc.? 

I often break it down into the "five pillars" of protecting your assets.1st pillar is avoiding unnecessary and risky activities (don't drink and drive, insurance generally won’t cover your poor decisions) and take good care of your investments - these simple steps will help you prevent lawsuits before they even occur.2nd pillar is a good insurance policy as that cover the majority of your exposure.

I would get the trees trimmed to prevent any possible problems. 

If not, how do you prevent that?

If you don’t sell, and don’t rent for high enough, your rental property will probably prevent you from buying another home (Debt to Income).

Yes you don't eat a mortgage, but you will have costs such as keeping the heat on in the dead of winter to prevent pipes from freezing, insurance, etc. you want to be conservative with the numbers to give you worst case scenario. how are you looking with capital expenditures?