Do your due diligence and ask about such things as how long have they been in business, are alternative assets their sole focus, are they BBB accredited and rated, are they a regulated financial institution, have they ever been sanctioned by any regulatory bodies, how many accounts and how much in assets do they administer?

Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982, which Brian linked above.  

We discovered that the property is paid and there are no liens

I have an undergraduate degree, two graduate degrees and also post graduate work, all from private institutions (which is why my debt is so high).

In addition, I have extensive experience working with banks and financial institutions in the disposition of foreclosed properties.  

I have purchased residential properties at foreclosure auctions and 1) you have to have cash in hand which no standard institution will do and 2) finding a good deal is far more work than people say.

Had to discover the death in order to find them.

They also had, and have, several different values including wholesale volumes.NADA had a training program to correctly utilize their materials in conjunction with the Appraiser Institute.

After 20+ years in the rat race, we have discovered, as many others have, that it is no path to wealth. 

Graduate of Cornell University's Baker Program in Real Estate, one of the nation's premier real estate focused educational institutions.