Is this where a mentor becomes necessary?

My only real exposure to real estate is a few books that I've read on the topic and I was actually referred to these forums by reading one of Brandon Turner's books and this looks like a great place to begin my real estate education :)I'm just your average guy that is fed up with a 9-5 job and looking to become financially free in my future, but even more than that to get rid of the boss and free up my time to do the things I enjoy most, so I guess you can say I am highly motivated to look into this new venture.My present time goals are to educate myself about the real estate world while connecting with those who are where I want to be and hopefully finding someone who can mentor me in this area.And my next goal after that would be to acquire a multi-family home here in Orange County that would allow us to live rent-free or cheap in the same home.Thanks for stopping by.

Mentors appear when you're ready for them, opportunities start to show up when you're looking for them, and everything just starts to make sense.  

@Christopher WinklerI am no expert in this area as my focus is on 1st liens, however, my understanding is that the lien portion of secured junior debt can be stripped in a BK case, rendering the debt as unsecured.

Therefore I am looking to connect and network with fellow investors, mentors, HMLs and RE groups in the RDU area to strenghten my knowledge and skills in this realm.My interest are in flipping, buy and hold, and wholesaling.

When my mentor told me to act I went into full beast mode.2) As for the Best deal, that is hard to decide.

I have a potential Property Management mentor who might be able to show me the ropes in that field, since it seems like a core part of the Buy and Hold strategy.

Being new means there is a place for a mentor or coach these can be very good relationships and they can lead new folks into trouble, being taken advantage of and eventually running them out of the business.

I was taught by my mentors to recognize that there are two roads and alone must choose which one to take. 

Pick your mentors carefully.