With the corporate guarantee get the parent company and not a subsidiary on the lease. 

One of the things you can do is to form some type of corporation or a LLC to protect you personally.  

The area is somewhat up and coming, we have a bunch of hotels coming in as well as corporate chain restaurants such as Chili's, Texas Roadhouse. building small shopping complexes, etc.

He is also giving us tax advice and establishing our corporation. 

My name is Tim Wadsworth and I am the co owner of Anderson and Wadsworth Corporation.

I started out as a part-time investor––holding a full-time job in high tech––and my passion for real estate enabled me to escape the rat race of Corporate America.Prior to Luxmana, I did multiple development projects in the trendy Highlands and Berkley areas of Denver, Colorado.

You might also, form some sort of corporation or a LLC with the advice from an Attorney and/or a CPA (or tax accounts).  

If he doesn't want to corporate, don't renew him if you don't feel comfortable. 

I know some local conglomerates (I don't want to call them landlords as they're corporate) that don't have any options except deposit or online payment; they don't even provide a mailing address option to the tenants and the on-site property manager isn't authorized to collect money in any fashion whatsoever.

Quite a list of prerequisites: http://mortgage.nationwidelicensingsystem.org/slr/PublishedStateDocuments/GA-Mtg-Lender-License-Description.pdfSome exemptions include:  Federally insured financial institutions and their wholly owned subsidiaries;  W-2 Employees of licensees and registrants (see Code);  Attorneys who provide legal services who are not in the business of negotiating loans;  Any person performing any act relating to mortgage loans under order of any court ;  Nonprofit corporations making mortgage loans to promote home ownership or improvements for the disadvantaged;  Any natural person who makes five or fewer mortgage loans in any one calendar year;  Other… refer to Code Section 7-1-1001.Bob