I've never done a flip before and this would be very beneficial for me.  

It can be beneficial to learn from the experiences/mistakes of others.

HelloI would like to know just how viable and feasible it is to invest in real estate at this moment, i have been advised to invest in funds such as Index Funds, mutual funds and hedge funds but my interests lie in properties/real estate.I will appreciate more details on where to look, what cities or neighborhoods to stay away from and also is NOW the right time to purchase for investment purposes?

You may eventually find someone that let's you assist on some basic aspects of a deal or even just let's you ride along and watch over their shoulders, but you'll have a mutual understanding that your primary concern for now is completing your school work.I hope that helps, and my best advice for now is to pick a plan and stick with it, as it will likely take multiple years before you really see this dream come to fruition.

It states that she is guaranteed $20,000 from the sale of the home and that he cannot refinance without paying off the Lien to her.She recently learned from a mutual friend that he just refinanced that home in October 2016 and got re-married in December 2016.She is obviously upset and confused as to how this could happen without giving her the Lien settlement.Any advice on how to go about collecting the owed money?

The true is, you do not need a "mentor" and you should not put yourself out there to be "used" any relationship should be mutually beneficial.The best advice I can offer is to seek out the most legit investor groups in your area, and on social media.

I've found everything and everyone to be extremely helpful and full of beneficial information.

Following are the similarities and differences between the solo 401k and the self-directed IRA.The Self-Directed IRA and Solo 401k Similarities Both were created by congress for individuals to save for retirement;Both may be invested in alternative investments such as real estate, precious metals tax liens, promissory notes, private company shares, and stocks and mutual funds, to name a few;Both allow for Roth contributions;Both are subject to prohibited transaction rules;Both are subject to federal taxes at time of distribution;Both allow for checkbook control for placing alternative investments;Both may be invested in annuities;Both are protected from creditors;Both allow for nondeductible contributions; andBoth are prohibited from investing in assets listed under I.R.C. 408(m).The Self-Directed IRA and Solo 401k DifferencesIn order to open a solo 401k, self-employment, whether on a part-time or full-time basis, is required;To open a self-directed IRA, self-employment income is not required;In order to gain IRA checkbook control over the self-directed IRA funds, a limited liability company (IRA LLC) must be utilized;The solo 401k allows for checkbook control from the onset;The solo 401k allows for personal loan known as a solo 401k loan;It is prohibited to borrow from your IRA;The Solo 401k may be invested in life insurance;The self-directed IRA may not be invested in life insurance;The solo 401k allow for high contribution amounts (for 2016, the solo 401k contribution limit is $53,000, whereas the self-directed IRA contribution limit is $5,500);The solo 401k business owner can serve as trustee of the solo 401k;The self-directed IRA participant/owner may not serve as trustee or custodian of her IRA; instead, a trust company or bank institution is required;When distributions commence from the solo 401k a mandatory 20% of federal taxes must be withheld from each distribution and submitted electronically to the IRS by the 15th of the month following the date of each distribution;Rollovers and/or transfers from IRAs or qualified plans (e.g., former employer 401k) to a solo 401k are not reported on Form 5498, but rather on Form 5500-EZ, but only if the air market value of the solo 401k exceeds $250K as of the end of the plan year (generally 12/31);When funds are rolled over or transferred from an IRA or 401k to a self-directed IRA, the amount deposited into the self-directed IRA is reported on Form 5498 by the receiving self-directed IRA custodian by May of the year following the rollover/transfer.Rollovers (provided the 60 day rollover window is satisfied) from an IRA to a Solo 401k or self-directed IRA are reported on lines 15a and 15b of Form 1040;Pre-tax IRA contributions on reported on line 32 of Form 1040;Pre-tax solo 401k contributions are reported on line 28 of Form 1040;Roth solo 401k funds are subject to RMDs;A Roth 401k may be transferred to a Roth IRA (Note that from a planning perspective, it may be advantageous to transfer Roth Solo 401k funds to a Roth IRA before turning age 70 ½ in order to escape the Roth RMD requirement applicable to Roth 401k contributions including Roth Solo 401k contributions and earnings.)

It makes sense to make it clear you'll get them out one way or another & working together would be more beneficial to them.

A company sponsored plan is traditional investing, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, securities, etc. traded on the NY stock exchange.