Now now don’t go exaggerating like that. Most solar is leased which is a detriment to getting a house loan which is proven.
1. Buyers cannot qualify for a solar lease because the credit score requirement is too high?While it is true that some leases do require credit score requirements, many of these scores do not differ from the same requirement that the buyer will need to qualify for a home loan. Typically if they can qualify for a home loan, they can qualify for a lease. If you are worried that a potential buyer cannot qualify for the lease, wouldn’t you also be worried that they couldn’t qualify to buy your house also?
2. Buyers will not want to take over my lease payment of $XXX?I have a hard time understanding this argument. If your electric bill was $400 a month before solar and after installing a solar leased system the electric bill is only $200 a month with a $100 a month lease payment, who would not want to save an additional $100 each month? Who doesn’t like to save money? Better yet, look at a solar lease as an alternative to the utility company. With a solar lease, you agree to buy electricity at a set price, often substantially cheaper than the utility rates. You have to buy electricity…why not buy it at a cheaper rate? Why pay the utility company $0.28 a kilowatt when you can buy it from the solar leasing company at a cost of only $0.10 for example?
3. Solar leases do not add value to my property?While it is true that someone that owns their solar system will benefit in an increase in value in their property, homes with a solar lease tend to sell faster than the average home in Phoenix. While not a tangible benefit, the beneficial value of a solar lease in Phoenix is less sales time. Recent sales statistics show that homes with a solar lease sell slightly faster than homes with a solar owned system and 10 to 24 percent faster than the average home in the Phoenix area. In some cases, I have seen an increase in value on an appraisal because of the solar lease. While most appraisers will not count solar leased equipment as a fixture on the property, I have seen examples in the last year where they do add anywhere from a $1,500 to $3,000 in additional monetary value on some of those appraisals.
4. It is harder to sell a home with a solar lease than without one?Depends. If you hire a real estate agent that does not understand the benefits or lacks the experience in selling a home with a solar lease, you will end up selling your home for less and over a longer period of time. The key to selling your home for top dollar is to hire someone, like the Solar Home Broker, that understands the benefits, can educate potential home buyers and buyer’s agents, and has the marketing strategies specifically designed for solar homes. If it is done right, the home can sell for the same amount of time (or less) without the hassle or complications that many unexperienced agents grumble about.
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