It was a big Ponzi scheme.

You put her in that environment because you not only went along with this scheme but didn't bother doing any due diligence you just blindly trusted a scammer that should have been a red light to you right from the start.

Was it just building equity and pulling it out to finance new deals, getting partners, "no/low money down" schemes?

HOpe this helps you.ALSO please do not fall for all the scammers on BP who hit you with 5 % rates and quick approvals and just need you to send them 500.00 to get started any up front money from anyone who hits you on line or is advertising is 99% of the time pump and dump due diligence schemes.. and or those that promise to align you with the 2,000 private investors in their data base.. also pipe dreams.I think one exercise you could do is to check out these three companies.Lendinghome in SF  they have a great matrix on line and you can see how cheap a guy like me can borrow and how expensive it will be for a new comer.Lendingone in FLA is legit and local Lima also legit.Cogo from what I see makes deals but its arguous process  I only know this because some of my vendors used them for take out and it took forever.. and it was quite expensive. 

But over the lifetime of the fund, that should be significantly less expensive than the scheme for artificially propping up the returns like Fundrise does.Rich Uncles is potentially interesting because they are 1 of the few options that invests in triple net leases (NNN).

They were shutdown by the SEC for running a ponzi scheme (See the complaint).  

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the exterior colour.

I would like to suggest a new paint scheme:

Selling CFD's as a note, without transferring title, and the fund not even having recorded title to transfer....isn't that like running a ponzi scheme where the operator Knows it's wrong, and at some point well knows it Has to fall apart, it's only a matter of time?  

Simply arresting them won't return the money.http://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/92/topics/22247-fraud-warning-http://www.fbi.gov/newyork/press-releases/2014/board-member-sentenced-to-10-years-imprisonment-for-his-role-in-10-million-advance-fee-and-gold-mine-investment-schemes