Many of the books I’ve read discuss how a 401k is a risky investment because you don’t have control of your own money.

Try to put yourself in their shoes...how can you show them that the deal is good and the risk is low? 

Already, not being able to evict tenants for not paying rent is risky for many landlords.

That way we have a portion or all of the income guaranteed, we know we will pass inspection, and we have mitigated some of the risk that comes with the area.There is a lot more too it but.. in general understanding risk is a big part of investing. 

Foung a sub2 with a first And a second/heloc is extremely risky and foolish. 

I agree, it's very important that the financial risk is not tied to a startup

Your best bet is shop around the area you intent on buying and building relationships with bankers there. something to consider, and may be the issue you are running into now, is that flipping is risky.

I have potential partners wanting to purchase some flips which seems too risky for me at this point. 

Even as a new agent, you should have a zillow profile where you share more about yourself, your value proposition and the areas you service.

Finding a lender who’s willing to do a loan in second position isn’t that easy to begin with, and on top of that you’re a brand new investor, which just makes it that much more risky for the lender.Best of luck to you though, and congrats for getting started at a young age.