June 30, 2014

Solar Panels: Purchase vs. Lease

Bill Ramsay

Solar PanelsResidential solar panel installations have grown dramatically over the last several years.  Where sunshine is plentiful, investing in solar panels is likely to produce at least a modest return on the investment.

In other places, some homeowners choose to have them even if they may not generate a positive return on the cost.

For those who want to have panels, there is sometimes a choice in how to pay for them.  You can either purchase them or lease them.

In a lease, a third party company will pay for and own the panels, and the homeowner pays a monthly lease payment to the lessor.

Based on this article, it appears that a lot of home buyers are not excited about assuming a solar panel lease, which has led to some home sellers having to reduce their home sales price.

It also appears that those sellers who purchased rather than leased got a premium price for their home.

 

Photo Copyright: elenathewise / 123RF Stock Photo

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June 30, 2014

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Bill Ramsay is a Certified Financial Planner™ and owner of Financial Symmetry, Inc. Bill is often interviewed for industry publications such as Financial Planning, Inside Information, Journal of Financial Planning, and Investment Advisor. He is a frequent guest for The Triangle Business Journal’s annual financial roundtable discussions. Bill has also been interviewed for national financial publications like The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s as well as general news publications such as Newsweek and the Raleigh News and Observer.

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