It's possible to turn a profit if you buy a distressed property and "flip" it to yourself.I bought a 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath with garage conversion as extra living space. 

You say you can afford the mortgage even if the other unit is vacant but that you don't have extra cash for the other expenses of being a landlord.So...instead of buying a single-family home instead, can you buy the duplex, keep up with the mortgage, sit on the other unit for a while until you've saved up some cash, then rent it out?

My short term goals to get started would be to get into the wholesaling side of real estate and earn capital to eventually invest in purchasing properties on my own for renting and also fixing/flipping.

Most simply, what is the interest rate on your primary mortgage vs. what you would earn on an investment property?

I'll work extra, I'll miss out on my family for a few years if it will pay off within 5 years or less, not if I'll not see the fruits of this for 20 years for.retirement. 

I keep a bucket full of the extra slats from when I shorten them to fit, just in case someone breaks one or a dog chews on one.

It was really the only "extra".Do you have garages?

I want to start a business around wholesaling and eventually reinvest my earnings into property.

On the contrary.But, ignoring the realities of your market and repeatedly making lowball offers with zero chance of being accepted accomplishes nothing, and earns you nothing. 

I know with rental properties, one of the main goals is the build long term equity in that home with some extra net cash flow after all expenses and savings.