I am thinking of buying a house. I may live in it for a year or two
then rent it out or rent it out immediately. I have the following
questions:

When I rent it out, would it be a good idea for me to create a
business so I can write off expenses?

If I do create a business, can I write interest and capital repayment
off? What other expenses could I write off?

Can I write any losses off in this business against other incomes?

If I create a business, can this business then be extended to buying/
managing other properties or other types of ventures, like vending
machines (I am considering buying a franchise)?

When would it be a good time to incorporate?

I am thinking that I may leave the US in a few years time (to live in
Canada). If so, I would no longer have an income in the US apart from
a rental income, so I would not be able to write interest off against
my income taxes. Would it then be better to create business whereby I
could write interest off (and maybe capital) as a business expense and
thus make a loss (most likely) every year?