If they are low balls then usually you are asking someone to work for free as the fix and flip landscape is competitive for a low pay out.

We do inspections on every deal and make realistic offers that are usually low. 

There are also several funds out there that provide high single digit yields that are low risk. 

Low barrier to entry, low taxes, landlord friendly, some amazing class A and B suburbs and a strong urban core. 

I guess my question is this: is the very low cash flow (due to my low down-payment and high interest) going to improve?

A/B Class is your top choice as this will quality tenants. 

For example, if she can't visit the property, is she good at record keeping (so everything is organized at tax time) or finding vendors, comparing product prices, finding free or low cost items on Facebook marketplace to improve the rental)3. emergency fund.

Using the appropriate amount of lights and mirrors is a pretty low-cost way to really make the space feel custom.Unique tile installation patterns such as vertical stacked or herringbone.

I have a very low risk tolerance for stock and many other market driven vehicles. 

While I don't object to spending money to do one's due diligence, I don't know if $500 is called for when you can get very high quality syndication groups/meetups/information for free.