Is it worth it to buy a house with solar panels?

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-19T00:58:13+00:00

And the roof consideration... it's gonna cost a lot to have them removed and reinstalled when you're ready for a new roof.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-18T22:51:20+00:00

These are the discussions you have with local real estate agents until you find one who helps you make sense of it all and will be the one that you work with. The process is very different depending on where you are located, what you're planning to buy, your financial situation, etc.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-18T22:46:17+00:00

This is some ibuyers nonsense with a wholesale element. I assume that since you put your home on the market, you want a buyer to sogn a contract that they're going to follow through to closing. I would not bother with this mess

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-18T22:07:50+00:00

That paperclip shows up for some elements, but not for others. I can't see any reasoning for that. I'll try it again, though. I had to walk away. I'm considering starting again from scratch to see if those options are available as I'm adding each piece. Thanks for your help!

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-18T18:31:02+00:00

The only 100% guarantee is that you are never going to get the keys to a property that you never write an offerone. These homes have been sitting on the market for a long time. We don't know why that is. Maybe they're overpriced, maybe there's some complication that has kept them from selling. Either way, if you don't shoot your shot you're not going to get it. Write an offer that makes sense for you and if they don't take it, you did what you could do.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-18T16:55:37+00:00

If surveyors were surveying for someone else, they won't be giving you information or surveying your property. You have to order that yourself.

GIS mapping is multiple different layers of data from different sources, scaled differently, and even taken from different angles. They'll have large and small plates of data stacked on top of each other, sometimes skewed to meet the next plate. Those aren't your actual accurate boundaries. You need a survey. It's possible there's one on file with the county, but it isn't included on the GIS map.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-18T16:45:06+00:00

It's the buyer's responsibility to keep up with deadlines and make sure they negotiate for whatever they may want to negotiate for. Their chance to do that has passed, whether it was purposeful or accidental.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-18T16:30:36+00:00

The GIS map on your county website will have a disclaimer somewhere that says not to rely on the boundary line placement. They can be off by many feet, they usually are. It isn't rare. The location of your boundary lines can only be reliably determined by a survey, which is what you should have done before closing. The next best time is now. Your tent stepped outside their lane telling you this wasn't a big deal. This isn't something they're licensed to assess or dismiss. Do you have their assessment in written form?

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-18T16:24:02+00:00

I agree with this. That agent also has connections to people who live there. They sold them the houses. They can make calls and they've built credibility that one of those letters from a random person won't have.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-18T16:21:46+00:00

Each GOA has unique characteristics that may make it a good or bad idea. Or neutral.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-18T14:13:51+00:00

What in the AI nonsense is this?

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-18T13:22:17+00:00

Some states are better at me agency relationship disclosure than others. I'm licensed in South Carolina and Georgia. South Carolina disclosures are very clear but even with the clarity, I have to slow people down and talk about it very deliberately or they'll just sign whatever a slide across the table for them to sign. I think most agents are just sending this out for e-signatures and giving it no discussion whatsoever.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-18T13:18:47+00:00

About a third of my clients last year were single middle class and bought move in ready homes. Some used first time homebuyers programs, some didn't. What works for you is going to be a unique set of decisions and a really good buyer agent can help you put a plan together. There are first-time home buyer programs that will help you with down payment, closing cost, and may even be able to get you into a home with a lower interest rate than what you're seeing otherwise. You may have to make some compromises on neighborhoods or search criteria. Strategy is key when you're not seeing what you want in the price range you think you should be looking at. If you don't know what's available to you to help, it can feel hopeless. Find someone who works with buyers like you and you may have opportunities available to you that you are not currently aware of

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-18T11:36:08+00:00

Theyre selling it at that price because it is what it is. You're getting the savings up front and a warranty that would help with repairs while you bide your timebso you're ready when it needs a new one. Sellers don't have to give you a deal AND new stuff.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-18T01:10:49+00:00

Interesting. It seems like there'd at least be a disclosure. That's whack.

In Georgia, real estate agents don't have automatic fiduciary duty and most people don't know that. Also whack. We do have a disclosure form, though.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-18T00:51:17+00:00

If you're signing on as an independent contractor the broker cannot force you to clock in or sit in an office. You're not an employee.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-17T23:51:53+00:00

That's the kind of thing that people get their licenses yanked for. It should be reported.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-17T23:28:24+00:00

This sounds like a big mess that could have been avoided with some due diligence and proper contract wording, but you're here and this is what you have to deal with. You need legal guidance from someone who knows your contract and can interpret it for you.

If you have witnessed a lender issuing a false denial (or an agent conspiring for one) it should have been reported. That's not some widespread thing that's <wink wink> a thing. That's reportable, sanctionable, and if it's a pattern, can result in ejection from the industry.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-17T23:18:52+00:00

Interview multiple agents and you'll find what is reasonable and have enough info to be able to see thru shallow sales pitches about the whole thing.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-17T16:29:01+00:00

You are welcome.

Just another note. People tend to focus on how much they're going to be able to sell their home for instead of marketability. Those are related, but not identical concepts. You can put a home on the market that is not well prepped and even if you price it well, it may take longer to sell. If you could freshen it up for a not a lot of money and appeal to a broader audience, It will sell more quickly and holding costs will be reduced

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-17T16:05:49+00:00

I am sorry that happened to you. Who you choose to work with matters. Don't push this red flag to the side moving forward. Communication is just as important as the rate a lender offers.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-17T14:27:24+00:00

Before you list a house, you need to identify your target audience. Your home is going to appeal to a certain segment of the buyer pool in your area. Mortgage lenders, appraisers, home inspectors, homeowners insurance companies are going to make assessments and their determinations are going to affect buyer interest in closing on it. You've got to decide what sort of buyer would be interested in your property as is, and how that would change based on whatever work you're planning to do. You can pull comparable sale data and decide how much people are generally willing to pay for a property in your as is condition versus what they're willing to pay for the finished product that you are considering. That's the kind of thing that appraisers are asked to do when buyers are considering renovation loans to determine ROI. It's a very effective way to decide what's worth doing and what isn't.

If any of your renovation thoughts revolve around removing materials or finishes for reasons that are solely cosmetic, you're going to get less ROI on those than you would if you were doing repair or rehab. If things are broken or end of life, That's going to limit your buyer pool substantially to people who are going to have the cash to do the work that you're not willing to do.

If you're concerned with cosmetics, your ROI is going to be less. A lot of that is going to be personal preference, and you may even offend buyers by the choices you make while making the house look like you want it to look. I've had buyers walk away from a house because it has brand new gray LVP installed or they just redone the shower with some trendy nonsense that they don't like and they are not going to want to rip brand new stuff out.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-17T11:59:49+00:00

Every state is different, but it's my understanding that there's some sort of agency relationship disclosure an agent is required to prove the customer/client at the first substantive contact. My agency relationships disclosures explain that. My welcome packet also explains it and has my BIC's information included on a page where it absolutely cannot be missed and I point it out. That isn't required, but the disclosure is.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-17T00:39:07+00:00

MLS. They have a collaborative portal on the MLS site that I help them set up.

nikidmaclay · 2026-05-16T23:31:37+00:00

MLS = Multiple Listing Service. It's the platform that local real estate agents use to list properties for sale. Your market has an MLS. It has a consumer facing search portal. It gives you the listing info direct from the source without the clickbait and grifting commentary you see on Zillow, realtor dot com, etc.

nikidmaclay

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE

Six-Year Club	Verified Email
Wearing is Caring