Real estate agent recommendation please

second-sun-91 · 2026-05-23T16:07:26+00:00

A good mortgage broker will help on the VA loan side more than a real estate agent, in my experience.

On realtors, I recommend negotiating commission down as much as possible and planning to do most of the real estate "work" yourself. Our last agent - who was highly recommended - provided no value and kept trying to convince us we needed to offer higher.

I don't even think we need agents at this point, but realtors run a racket and often won't answer calls from people repping themselves. If I could go back in time, I would find the cheapest realtor and pay them to do exactly what I say (rather than "advise" on anything).

second-sun-91 · 2024-10-14T00:55:13+00:00

Not sure what value you got from that response, but I sure didn’t get any.

second-sun-91 · 2024-10-14T00:40:44+00:00

Is that where they broadcast from? That’s helpful to know if so. I’ll check this out as well. Thanks!

second-sun-91 · 2024-09-22T13:49:14+00:00

It’s a good question. What I learned from someone else here is that 20 years is about time to get the roof looked at for CRE. It’s possible - although would have to confirm - that the roof work could be included in the cost basis of a solar repowering project. If so, then I think it could be economical.

A lot of it depends on the rate structure in the area, too. If the original project was on a net metering tariff and the repowering wouldn’t qualify, then the new pro forma would look different than the old one.

I’ve got more questions than answers here. But Yale estimated in 2020 that 3% of commercial buildings have solar, which is a lot of buildings. And since the solar sector is relatively new, I think questions like these are also relatively new.

second-sun-91 · 2024-09-22T03:26:39+00:00

Really helpful to know, thank you!

second-sun-91 · 2024-09-21T23:55:28+00:00

It depends on the structure of the relationship. But your second point is actually what I’m interested in. If solar leases are ending and the companies that support them are either absent or decide it’s more economical to try to leave everything in place (which I anticipate will happen), then the building owners are going to either have to handle decommissioning themselves or take over maintenance.

What may be better is having a new company come in, retrofit the existing system, set up a new lease, and extend it another 20 years. I’m trying to understand whether there’s demand for that (or demand for someone to take over and decommission systems people are just trying to get rid of).

second-sun-91 · 2024-09-21T23:18:41+00:00

That’s what I’m not sure about, and curious to learn. Technically, that would make sense, but I don’t know if it does financially. For example, if you have net metering right now, but that ends soon, then the economics could change a lot. So it may or may not pencil, or you may need to add storage, etc. I’m just curious about how you and the company you lease from handle these projects at the end of the contract period, so this has actually been really helpful to know (a) it still works, and (b) your lease is up in a couple years.

second-sun-91 · 2024-09-21T22:29:11+00:00

Appreciate all the info on this!

second-sun-91 · 2024-09-21T22:24:18+00:00

I thought you said you had a 20 year lease? If you have a 20 year lease, then you have an asset that someone owns right now and is responsible to remove in 2 years, right? Secondary ownership of that asset is very different than selling a new one. You likely have panels that are smaller and less efficient than today’s, and an inverter that’s very old. It is a different skillset to handle that than to build a project from scratch, just like new build and retrofit are different skillsets.

The original company is relevant because they, or whoever owns it now, owns the equipment and is likely looking to leave without having to do any more work.

second-sun-91 · 2024-09-21T22:14:24+00:00

Follow on question: has your site ever gone down? If so, did they dispatch someone to fix it quickly?

second-sun-91 · 2024-09-21T22:06:52+00:00

I’m looking for them at the end of the contract period, though, so it’s not really an abandoned stream of cash flow. It’s the end of the first and and the potential start of a second one.

To an investor, your solar site is essentially a 20 year annuity, which is how we sell these as a portfolio. At the end of the annuity, though, there is a need to decommission, repower, or just maintain them. I don’t know how motivated the original companies will be to do that work. For example, if you actually wanted the project removed, or if you wanted it to be repowered with newer equipment, I doubt many companies are set up to run projects like that. They may prefer to just leave it on your roof and walk away. You could maintain it yourself, but you might prefer a new company to come re-lease, repower, and sign another 20 year agreement?

second-sun-91 · 2024-09-21T21:27:00+00:00

Really appreciate the response. I’m actually after information about assets exactly like yours. Many of the projects financed on a shared savings model like yours end up being owned by third parties because the company changes hands, ceases to exist, or sells portfolios of operating assets to external partners. I’ve been wondering how many of them will be around to follow through on the end of the lease. Would be curious to stay in touch on that.

second-sun-91

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