All the same, it's pretty hard to beat the density of expertise and information that is at your fingertips here at BP.  

I think you ought to incorporate before your first deal so you can protect yourself and your personal assets.  

Is there anything I can do to protect myself other than bringing it up to my lawyer and asking him to do a thorough review?

Leverage their knowledge, time, and expertise and then you can laser focus your efforts on expanding the business.

PM if you wish and I can send over some general guidelines to help protect his investment and perhaps get you closer to a reasonable deal.

Make sure that you have an attorney involved to draw up the loan docs to ensure that everyone is protected.  

I was thinking about this issue more after I replied the first time, and I think if I were back in your situation, as I once was, I'd try to set some parameters for having time to cultivate the real estate investing but also protecting my time and sanity and joy in parenting.

After a successful career in acquisitions and defense contracts, Nina decided to leave the corporate world and transfer her analytical skills and contracts expertise to the world of real estate investing, with a focus on single and multi-family residential properties.

Remember that long leases protect the tenant, not much the landlord.

I am looking for a legal way to protect myself against the owner changing his mind and living in a newly remodeled home financed by my money.