If you insist on SMF, Try to find something as West as you can afford, away from the college and the AF base.

If it were an exclusive buyers agreement and insisted on 3% with no contingencies, that is a lot more rare and broker-sided but from the terms you've provided, it appears he's just trying to protect himself from timewasters.

I’ve been using a freelance property manager who insists that the tenants are not coming because the “market is slow from now until the spring”.

That, or insist they amend the contract to include that language for you as a protection.

This may lower the listing agent commission (or not they could still insist on 6%) but it will definitely affect the buyer. 

It's somewhat ironic that I, being a tax professional, insist on pushing taxes into a secondary role, but I do.

But if they insist on paying a percentage, then it depends on if the GC is paying for everything?

Admittedly he insisted on paying for some of the material upgrades & it was worthwhile.

The new equity of 80k is now buying you a property worth only 2.3/dollar of equity....and, it's still not your money.Sell the property and it becomes your money, and if you insist on paying 30% (DP) of the PV, you are now buying a property worth $242k+ 

Now you're locked into him for a while....I would send him an email (so you have a better record) and insist that he respond within 48 hours.