Releasing the wrong lien is not a mistake I want to make so I was verifying the instrument numbers, dates, etc against the actual document images, and in doing so found many discrepancies. 

Most of lien investors treat it as a financial instrument that will perform better than CD.

Short of going to a city register of deeds and looking for a recording instrument (are these rights recorded?).

Here is an excerpt from @Clint Coons regarding the due-on-sale clausehttp://www.alglaw.com/service/view/land_trustsWith respect to a real property loan secured by a lien on residential real property containing less than five dwelling units, including a lien on the stock allocated to a dwelling unit in a cooperative housing corporation, or on a residential manufactured home, a lender may NOT exercise its option pursuant to a due-on-sale clause upon:(1) the creation of a lien or other encumbrance subordinate to the lender's security instrument which does not relate to a transfer of rights of occupancy in the property;(2) the creation of a purchase money security interest for household appliances;(3) a transfer by devise, descent, or operation of law on the death of a joint tenant or tenant by the entirety;(4) the granting of a leasehold interest of three years or less not containing an option to purchase;(5) a transfer to a relative resulting from the death of a borrower;(6) a transfer where the spouse or children of the borrower become an owner of the property;(7) a transfer resulting from a decree of a dissolution of marriage, legal separation agreement, or from an incidental property settlement agreement, by which the spouse of the borrower becomes an owner of the property;(8) a transfer into an inter-vivos trust in which the borrower is and remains a beneficiary and which does not relate to a transfer of rights of occupancy in the property; or(9) any other transfer or disposition described in regulations prescribed by the Federal Home Loan Bank Board.So, like K.

In any event thank you for this valuable site the information I get here from our knowledgable members has been instrumental to my success.

We have had such a great relationship over the years & I was recently instrumental in him buying an 1830's 3600 sq ft mansion near the lake.

When I complained, they said the "date of instrument" will still be the date that the document was originally notarized.

Notes are not commonly recorded with the security instrument so the information is not available that much in public record.

The "MERs has no authority" theory has no legal merit, it does in fact have the rights that are transferred with the instrument.

As a function of the security instrument and note you can impound the monies to pay for both taxes and insurance and distribute accordingly.Or when you get listed on the property insurance you get listed as a mortgagee which most insurance companies will alert you when the payment is due and you can request proof of payment from your borrowers.