If you have connected an external account to your Chase bank, you would have encountered the same financial user interface, ensuring security and trustworthiness.

@Erik D.your earnest money is not going back to you - you are getting scammed.

The days of even 90% financing are rare - I would expect to see “real” lenders who won’t scam you wanted 30% down and expect double digit rates.

Could anyone with more experience, advice if this is a good deal or even if it could be a scam?

What challenges or benefits have you encountered when investing in Detroit's real estate market?

The 'title lock' you are describing seems like a scam. 

If your lender can't look over your application, contract, and bank statements and give you a pre-approval letter or a term sheet without an upfront fee, then they are likely trying to scam you or don't know what they are doing.I would also suggest you get to know your lender and determine if they're the type of person you can work with.

Not knowing of course that the deal still has implications that will follow him for the rest of his life.I work in the financial services industry and encounter stories all the time regarding past crimes of dishonesty that result in termination. 

That is the minimum threshold I have encountered here. 

One of our units was listed online by a scam artist.