I have yet to get an insurance quote because that seems impossible until the renovations are complete.

Cash flow, no, not impossible, but very difficult.  

I’ve gotten a few different responses the most common being that it’s nearly impossible to get started with now track record or money to invest.

Individual situations vary and it's impossible for someone over the internet to give you specific advice without knowing all of the details of your situation.

you should get your financing locked down first. you may find it next to impossible to find financing for a foreigner with those kind of down payments. and for sure heed @Ned Carey advice top of the market not the bottom look for a solid 5 to 8% return instead of 10 to 15  those are for those that live there and can stay right on top of them. 

Even if the imperfection is minor, or even it's impossible to notice, they still can't sell it at full retail.

I won't buy a property that doesn't have great cash flow as soon as I put it on the market for rent, and I buy at such significantly low prices that it's virtually impossible I couldn't sell for what I have in it.

The actual number will vary above or below 50% based on many different factors making it impossible to say how accurate it will be until the day you sell the property. 

Also, obtaining a more attractive debt to income ratio is something that I've also identified as a potential hurdle I will need to overcome in my early years, but it does not seem to be an impossible task. 

It would be virtually impossible to reno and refi in less than 3 months.