Green Real Estate Appraiser

5 Common Myths about residential solar

Posted on October 12, 2016 | Leave a comment

The Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative has been promoting the adoption of residential solar power, and as of May 2016, there are more than more than 1 million solar installations generating electricity in the United States.

Will solar add value to your home? Contact the appraisers at http://www.scappraisals.com for your home value questions.

On the DOE blog, Odette Mucha, Technology Manager for the SunShot Initiative, debunked the top five myths about residential solar power that may be keeping homeowners from moving forward.

1. SOLAR PANELS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE

In 42 of America’s 50 largest cities, financing a residential solar energy system actually costs less than purchasing electricity from a customer’s local utility. Studies show the cost of going solar has dropped every year since 2009. If you’d like to purchase your solar energy system, you don’t have to buy it in cash — there are a number of different financing options. Fannie Mae’s new HomeStyle® Energy mortgage is a mortgage option that gives borrowers the ability to complete clean energy upgrades up to 15 percent of the current appraised property value of the home. If you don’t want to take out a loan, third-party owned systems allow you to host solar energy systems that are owned by solar companies, then purchase back the electricity generated on your rooftop, while allowing you to lock in your electricity rate for years.

2. YOU CAN’T SAVE MONEY GOING SOLAR

Solar brings great potential to save money on your monthly utility bill. The amount you save depends upon how much electricity you consume, the size of your solar energy system, and how much power it is able to generate. The monthly amount owed on a solar loan is typically less than an average utility bill, and leased systems allow you to purchase the electricity back from a solar company at a discounted rate, which is often less than utilities charge customers. With utility bills trending upward, solar is likely to remain a good money-saving option for years to come.

Tips and Tricks from Professional Flippers

Posted on October 10, 2016 | Leave a comment

1. Quotes and contracts – Make sure you get at least three different quotes for every trade that is required. It might sound like overkill, but you will be surprised by how different they will be. It doesn’t always pay to go with the cheapest; in fact you often get what you pay for with this kind of work. Take the time to check your tradespeople’s references, have a look at their previous work and be sure that you are very clear about what is included in their proposed contract and what is not. Also, find out how much work they have on at the moment – you don’t want to be locked into a contract with someone who has taken on too much work and keeps leaving your job to finish others. So have an agreed timeframe for the completion of the work.

4. Lists and spreadsheets – Taking on a renovation can be overwhelming, so divide the project into rooms and then each room into tasks. Having a list that can be ticked off as you go along will help create a sense of achievement and allow you to focus on what still needs to be done. Creating a spreadsheet for the project to list costs is crucial for keeping on top of your budget. Try to update it daily with every penny spent.

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How to choose the right paint color for any room

Posted on October 7, 2016 | Leave a comment

paint

You’ve pored over the colour charts and painted swatches on the walls but how do you decide on the perfect colour?

“Committing to a new paint colour is daunting,” says Sydney-based colour expert and artist Julie Rekha from online art gallery, Art Expedia. “For the living room, go with colours centred between cool and warm tones. A cool light neutral grey colour can work well for the kitchen. A nice deep brown will suit the dining room as this colour is great for a room that is a setting for celebrations. A nice tan or pale blue colour will work for the bedroom and a cool peach colour will suit the kids’ room.”

“Don’t be limited in thinking there are certain colours for rooms. You can use any colour,” says paint expert, Annie Sloan, who has written more than 20 books on paint, colour and technique and created her own worldwide brand of paint called Chalk Paint. “A bathroom doesn’t have to be blue or green just because there is water in it. Really what you need to think about is how much light is in the room.”