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REBATES & INCENTIVES

Rebates and incentives are offered by a variety of utilities and government agencies. Taking advantage of these offerings can help you reduce your energy and water use.

Federal Rebates & Incentives

State Rebates & Incentives

 

FINANCING

Energy-Efficient Mortgages

The Energy Efficient Mortgages Program (EEM) helps homebuyers or homeowners save money on utility bills by enabling them to finance the cost of adding energy-efficiency features to new or existing housing as part of their FHA-insured home purchase or refinancing mortgage.

This program seeks to help achieve national energy-efficiency goals (and reduce pollution) and provide better housing for people who might not otherwise be able to afford it. By considering the savings on monthly utility bills when determining how large a mortgage the household can afford, as many as 250,000 more new homebuyers could qualify per year, according to a 1986 study by the Joint Center for Housing Studies. Although EEMs have been available in some states since 1980, they have been little understood or marketed. With EEMs, borrowers do not need to get a separate, costly loan for energy improvements when buying an existing home.

Getting Started:

  1. Find an FHA-approved lender in your area:
    FHA-approved lending institutions – which include most banks, savings and loan associations, and mortgage companies – can make loans covered by EEM insurance. Visit HUD’s searchable list of approved lenders here. (http://www.hud.gov/ll/code/llslcrit.cfm)

  2. Check your eligibility:
    If you can meet the income requirements for FHA’s standard Section 203(b) insurance (http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/ins/203h-dft.cfm) and can make the monthly mortgage payments, you are eligible to apply. For more information on eligibility:
    http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/eem/energy-r.cfm.

  3. Get your home rated:
    To get an EEM, a borrower typically has to have a home energy rater conduct a home energy rating before financing is approved. This rating verifies for the lender that the home is energy-efficient. EEMs are normally used to purchase a new home. For a list of energy raters in Florida: http://dbase.fsec.ucf.edu/pls/engauge/engauge_search_rater.

  4. Apply:
    Applications must be submitted to the local HUD Field Office through an FHA-approved lending institution.

Home Improvement Loans — FHA Title 1

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) makes it easier for consumers to obtain affordable home improvement loans by allowing loans up to $25,000 without any equity in the home. In otherwords, the loan can exceed the value of the home.

Title I loans may be used to finance permanent property improvements that protect or improve the basic livability or utility of the property--including manufactured homes, single-family and multifamily homes, nonresidential structures, and the preservation of historic homes. The loans can also be used for fire safety equipment. Find out more:
http://fha-home-loans.com/home_improvement_fha_loans.htm

If you have equity in your home, you may be able to do a cash-out mortgage refinance, and it doesn't require you have to have an existing FHA loan. Find out more: http://fha-home-loans.com/cash_out_refinance_fha_loans.htm

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