Hi there,
It's really not too bad when you're moving back home. It's just a matter of filling out forms and updating ID, etc. There are questions you have I haven't but here's my experience:
Household: Whether you are bringing your belongings back with you or having them follow, you will need to have the appropriate forms filled out for CBSA. You'll need to declare when you left and when you return to start Canadian residency. Super easy and no issues, just a cursory glance at the manifest and a stamp.
OHIP: Again, very easy. I had to sign a declaration of when I left and when I moved back. I had my Cdn ID and was good to go. New photo card sent out in the mail, waiting period three months.
DL: I wasn't gone long enough to forgo that so it was an easy address change and new DL arrived quick.
Real Estate: I'm in that process now, from what my agent tells me, if you haven't owned a house in the past five years in Canada, you could qualify for first-time home buyer with CMHC, not certain if there are any exclusions for owning U.S. real estate.
Job: Like you, I was applying back north. The disadvantage was not being locally available, I had plenty of interest but it wasn't til I was back here that a job fell into place. People want to see you back in country, it seems. I wound up bunking with family until I found a job.
Credit: If you've lived in the U.S. for over a few years, the bank will run both SSN & SIN's for credit. I can't remember if it was two years (I think)or four they told me at Scotia, but they run both when you've resided in the U.S.for a length of time.
Partner: If you have an American 'significant other' then there is more paperwork to have ready when you move back to Canada, but that's a whole other story, lol.
I'll leave it to others in regards to
taxes, etc.
