Solar, SettledBefore the Offer.
The Solar-Ready Home™ review happens before the offer. Everything else stays at its proper stage: the lender reviews eligibility during underwriting, solar funds are held in an escrow holdback at closing, and installation follows after closing. No lease to explain and no separate solar loan.
Solar is reviewed before the offer. Lender approval, funding and installation stay at their normal stages.
Free for you and your buyers to check a home. No credit check.
- The home closes first
- Owned, not leased
- One FHA mortgage
- Reviewed before the offer
QuiqNest is not a lender or mortgage broker. Financing is provided by participating licensed lenders and is subject to FHA program rules, borrower and property eligibility, and lender approval.
Subject to FHA program rules, borrower and property eligibility, and lender approval.
Most solar problems are not about panels. They are about timing.
When solar is added through a lease or a separate solar loan, the questions tend to surface late, when there is the least time to solve them.
A second payment
A lease or solar loan payment sits on top of the mortgage and can affect what a buyer qualifies for.
A filing found late
A UCC-1 fixture filing from a seller's solar lease or loan can turn up in title review.
Questions late in underwriting
Lender questions about an existing solar contract can arrive close to the closing date.
Friction at resale
Leases must be transferred or bought out, and separate loans are usually paid off first.
Listing a home that already has a solar lease or loan? A Solar Agreement Review helps your seller understand what they have before it becomes a closing question.
Solar Agreement Review →The same solar. A different order.
Clear-Title Solar™ moves the solar decision before the offer and puts the financing inside the mortgage the lender is already underwriting.
| Compared | Solar added after closing | Clear-Title Solar™ at purchase |
|---|---|---|
| When solar is reviewed | After closing, often at the kitchen table | Before the offer, with a Solar-Ready Home™ check |
| How it is paid for | A lease or a separate solar loan | Inside the buyer's FHA mortgage |
| Monthly payments | Mortgage plus a second payment | One mortgage payment |
| Who owns the system | The solar company, or the buyer while a separate lender is repaid | The buyer |
| Filing on the equipment | Often a UCC-1 fixture filing | No equipment-level UCC-1 fixture filing on the solar equipment |
| Buyer qualification | The second payment can change the picture after approval | The lender qualifies the buyer on the full combined payment, as with any FHA loan |
| Installation | Whenever the solar company schedules it | After closing, funded through an escrow holdback |
General comparison. Terms vary by contract and lender, and normal title and lender review still apply.
Not a new loan. An FHA framework, used in the right order.
FHA's Solar and Wind Technologies rules, in HUD Handbook 4000.1, Section II.A.8.m, let eligible borrowers finance solar as part of an FHA mortgage. They are rarely used, because solar is usually reviewed too late. QuiqNest moves that review before the offer.
- Checks the home and designs the solar before the offer
- Prepares the solar numbers the lender needs
- Connects buyers with participating licensed lenders through BrightNest Mortgage™
- Coordinates permits, installation and inspection after closing with certified installer partners
- Buyer eligibility, based on income, credit and the home
- Whether the full combined payment fits FHA guidelines
- The final loan amount, rate and terms
- The normal appraisal, title and closing process
QuiqNest is not a lender or mortgage broker. Mortgages are provided by participating licensed lenders.
Five steps. The home closes first. Solar comes after.
The review moves earlier. Approval, funding and installation stay where they belong.
- Step 1
Buyer checks the home
Before the tour, with a free Solar-Ready Home™ check from a Zillow link or address.
- Step 2
Solar reviewed
Roof, sun and numbers reviewed before the offer. Solar-Ready Home PLUS™ adds the usage history from a recent power bill.
- Step 3
Offer and underwriting
If the buyer and home are eligible, the lender includes the solar cost in the FHA mortgage and qualifies the buyer on the full combined payment.
- Step 4
The home closes
The lender's normal FHA closing. The solar funds are held in an escrow holdback.
- Step 5
Solar installed
After closing, certified installer partners handle permits, installation and inspection of the owned system.
Closing and installation timelines depend on the lender, the home and permitting. QuiqNest does not guarantee closing dates or installation dates.
Useful whether you list it or show it.
Solar comes up on both sides of a transaction. Here is where QuiqNest fits on each.
- Send buyers to check homes before you book tours
- See which homes can support owned solar
- Help buyers offer with the full monthly cost in hand
- Keep solar a planning conversation, not a closing question
- Have your listing checked as a Solar-Ready Home™
- Share a recent power bill with the home's usage history for a PLUS review, with the name and account number redacted
- Give FHA buyers a clearer monthly picture
- Listing already has solar? Start with a Solar Agreement Review
Words you can use with buyers: “Solar is reviewed before the offer. If the home and the buyer qualify, an owned system can be financed inside the same FHA mortgage and installed after closing. There is no lease and no separate solar loan. The lender still qualifies the buyer on the full payment.”
How Clear-Title Solar™ works →Does this change my closing timeline?
The solar review moves earlier, before the offer. The home then closes through the lender's normal FHA process, and installation happens after closing, so construction stays out of the transaction. Timelines depend on the lender, the home and permitting, and are not guaranteed.
Does solar affect my buyer's qualification?
Yes, the way any part of the loan does. The eligible solar cost is part of the FHA mortgage, and the lender qualifies the buyer on the full combined payment. QuiqNest does not make credit or loan decisions.
Who owns the system?
The buyer. It is owned, not leased, and, when the buyer and home are eligible, financed inside the FHA mortgage.
Is there a UCC-1 filing?
When the solar is financed inside the FHA mortgage, there is no separate solar lender, so there is no equipment-level UCC-1 fixture filing on the solar equipment. Normal title review still applies.
Does the seller have to do anything?
No. For a Solar-Ready Home PLUS™ review, a recent power bill with the home's 13-month usage history helps, when available. The name and account number may be redacted. It creates no obligation for the seller and does not hold up the sale.
What if the listing already has solar?
Start with a Solar Agreement Review. It helps the seller understand the lease or loan and what it means for the sale.
Does it work with loans other than FHA?
Clear-Title Solar™ is built on FHA's Solar and Wind Technologies rules. If your buyer is using another loan type, talk to us about other paths.
Where is this available?
Florida is our current focus. If you work in another state, talk to us about where we can help.
What does it cost to check a home?
Nothing. Checking a home is free for you and your buyers, and there is no credit check.
Is QuiqNest a lender?
No. QuiqNest is not a lender or mortgage broker. Mortgages are provided by participating licensed lenders. QuiqNest checks the home, prepares the solar side and coordinates the work after closing.
Solar, Settled Before the Offer.
Talk with the QuiqNest team about bringing Solar-Ready Home™ reviews to your buyers and your listings in Florida, before the offer.
Email the QuiqNest TeamOr call (888) 733-0127Prefer to talk it through with a person?
Call or email the QuiqNest team about a specific home, FHA eligibility or your next steps.
