Homeowners

 Benefits of Ratings to Homeowners

• Determine the relative energy efficiency of your home
  Many of the energy efficient features of a home are hidden once the dry wall goes up and it is difficult to know the energy efficiency of a home. A home energy rating involving diagnostic testing, will give a home owner a third party verification of the home’s energy efficiency. 
  
   
• Make educated decisions when investing in cost-effective energy improvements to the home
  Besides providing a rating of the home and projecting its energy costs, a home energy rating provides a home owner with a listing of cost-effective energy improvements for the home and the economic return on investment from making those improvements.  Such improvements not only save money but also increase comfort and add to a home's value. 
  
   
• Add the cost of making the energy improvements to the mortgage loan through an energy improvement mortgage
  An energy improvement mortgage will finance the energy improvements recommended by an energy rating as being cost-effective into the mortgage loan at the time of the purchase or during refinancing. An energy improvement mortgage does not require any additional qualification and in most cases does not require any additional money down. Mortgage interest terms are much more attractive than credit card or consumer loans.