If you have a mortgage with an interest rate above 3%, with at least 10 years remaining, then you may want to consider a green mortgage refinance. Or, if you are considering buying a home, consider a green mortgage purchase.

Green mortgages allow you to purchase or refinance a home at the same interest rate as you normally could, but the lender can also include funds in a special escrow account to pay for energy improvements to the property.

Reach out to Green Homeowners United to find out which lenders are currently offering green mortgages.

Benefits of a Green Mortgage:

1. Up to $6,500 for energy-efficiency improvements like insulation, air sealing, and smart devices, to name a few (or more with an energy assessment).

2. Photovoltaic solar panel system that covers most or all of the home's electric bill.

3. Covering the cost of an energy audit, with diagnostic equipment and health/safety tests, and a report detailing the energy efficiency of the home to increase the amount future buyers will be willing to pay. (Note, if you had the audit before closing on the mortgage, the lender can reimburse you)

These improvements can come at effectively no cost to you, as every $1 invested by the lender and owed on your mortgage must be met with at least $1 off of your collective utility bills (electric, gas, water or sewer), without leaving you to pay the costs of you move away before the mortgage is over and no down payment required.

If you are buying or thinking of refinancing, and you'd like to both save money and the planet, give us a call or sign up here. Additionally, consider an energy assessment first to customize the improvements list; the lender can reimburse you for it if you to proceed.

Sign up to learn more about if a Green Mortgage makes sense for your home