Once you're deemed credit worthy by lenders you can start using leverage which needs to be used VERY carefully but is also extremely powerful.I personally do NOT recommend that someone with a trades or self employment 'life track' as you are describing is best suited to buy a first house with cash, and for instance use your time to fix it up.Few reasons here:Firstly, often the kinds of 'cash deals' available are ones that can to generalize tend to be more cash flow type properties (as opposed to equity properties). 

Money Mustache and the recession for getting us started on our real estate journey, and our gainful employment for saving up a bunch and the stock market (betterment account) for giving us an extra $10k or so for free.

It can be very difficult for self employed and small business owners to finance a home because their taxes do not always show a lot of traditional income.

$475 rents for renovated units seems very low. 

Depending on how much money you have (the money you mention is for you to live on), it could be enough for the 25% down and the reserves a bank would want to see but this becomes high risk pretty fast since you will be giving up a HUGE chunk of money you have to live on.Finally, Brandon Turner's book on no and low money down investing can give some ideas on creative financing.

I understand this situation is considered employer-provided housing and contingent on him doing the work.

You'll likely have more opportunities with going after listings, since you don't have to convince the seller to take a low price but you still get paid when they sell. 

Your vacancy and repair estimates are low, you aren't budgeting for a PM which will be a HUGE headache out of state, and you aren't budgeting for CapEx.

I'm looking to get started wholesaling soon, and have been studying Brandon Turner's "The Book On Investing In Real Estate with No and Low Money Down".

Historically, every time we see low unemployment it is followed by a recessionNow we hit a 17 year low for unemployment rate, so what does that mean?