Tough to stay disciplined as "Past performance is no guarantee of future results". 

i keep seeing:1. buy out of state rental in a solid neighborhood with long-term potential (just as you are recommending) but then...2. have one rough tenant turn that costs a couple grand, and3. give up on real estate investing, and turn on everyone involved in the transaction for not guaranteeing that sweet cash flow in month 1 lol, yea there is a decent chunk of investors who get really butthurt by that one bad unit turn and just give up.

From there ones like Foundation Mortgage or Guaranteed Rate are super solid.

I can pretty much guarantee that you will loose WAY more money trying to get out of the lease then you will spending the extra hundred dollars or so to paint an additional room or two.

My question is what guarantees should I expect before paying? 

Since you will be guaranteeing the loans, make sure that line item is funded appropriately. 

A 40k program ought to come with an ironclad guarantee that you make 6 figures by year 2 (and aren't doing something illegal/unethical) to be even minimally reasonable.  

As the legally required small print in the offering of financial products reads: "Past performance is no guarantee of future performance".

@Jonathan Greene and @Mike Grudzien I agree but I was hoping to hear from some certified appraisers and if they would comp leased land versus owned land in an appraisal.Jonathan, you are guaranteed the land through the current lease period, but not guaranteed of a renewal.  

Personally, Id hire someone who will either straight up guarantee or all but guarantee you'll pass if they do the work.