Thanks for this explanation.
I live in a neighborhood that was full of flips, and I knew flippers during the boom 2000 - 2007. All of the flippers found their own deals, either direct from owners, from the banks on foreclosed properties (hardly any of those) or on the real estate market. My neighborhood was in the top 3 in appreciation, out of several hundred in this metro area and we watched (and even bought some real estate) during this time. We know real estate agents and contractors and people who made money in the boom.
...and I am telling you: this role of "wholesaler" even back in the mad world of 2005 real estate, did not exist. You are from Iowa and are not in one of the crazy markets like San Franciso, New York, San Diego, etc. Perhaps in those markets there is room for a "wholesaler" to take a cut, I don't know what goes on there. But in the heartland this would not work.
This role of "wholesaler" seems to be doing only part of the work of a real estate listing agent, just part of it--not the entire range of service. As a seller I can't figure out what's in it for me to work with you, a wholesaler: you don't have wide exposure to the marketplace of buyers through real estate listing network, you don't have experience in marketing hundreds of properties, you don't have experience in my neighborhood, you can't guide me to an appropriate price since you don't have the experience of previous named items. And then, you tie up my property in a option that keeps me from selling it to someone with ready cash.
Why wouldn't I just sell directly to a flipper? You think flippers don't have the same skills that you have? Those skills are a major part of doing the flip, finding the property.