Last year, my wife and I went through the delightful process of buying a home (I also had to sell a home, but that's a post for another time). While we can look back and laugh about it now, there were many times when we thought the deal would fall apart. The home which we now own is an older home, built in the 1920s. We knew going into it there likely would be issues – just a given for a home nearly 100 years old.
Last year, my wife and I went through the delightful process of buying a home (I also had to sell a home, but that's a post for another time). While we can look back and laugh about it now, there were many times when we thought the deal would fall apart.
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The home which we now own is an older home, built in the 1920s. We knew going into it there likely would be issues – just a given for a home nearly 100 years old. We did our due diligence and consulted a home inspector. His report came back with a slew of issues we expected – adventures in electric wiring, improper grading, cracks in the pavement – the usual.
But there were a few things from the report that did give us pause, particularly those that focused on the home's energy efficiency. While most of the windows were new, there were other capital-intensive upgrades that needed attention, including a new furnace, re-worked air ducts and updated insulation, among other items.
As we considered all of the updates needed to make our home as efficient as possible, our heads began to spin. Ultimately, we realized we would need to make a sacrifice, but it was frustrating to have to make such significant short-term sacrifices when our end goal was saving long-term energy – and dollars.
If only there was a way to purchase and install the energy-efficient equipment in our new home while still staying within our original budget. Well, it turns out for many Americans, there is a way to do just that.
Article continues: http://blog.cleantechies.com/2011/08/15/a-lending-hand-for-the-energy-efficient-home-buyer/
