How to Get Your Storm Windows & Doors Financed in Florida
Are you a South Floridian homeowner looking to upgrade your home’s windows and doors to storm-proof impact glass? The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season is underway, and although there hasn’t been any storm activity in June, storm windows and doors are always a great investment for coastal properties. While the benefits of impact glass speak for themselves, many homeowners balk when considering costs. Are you one of them? Fortunately, there are programs for Floridians to ease the financial burden. P.A.C.E is one such program that can help you get your storm windows & doors financed in Florida.
What is P.A.C.E?
P.A.C.E stands for “Property Assessed Clean Energy.” It is a finance program that aims to fund home improvement projects specializing in energy efficiency or renewable energy. In fact, P.A.C.E is a national initiative of the U.S Department of Energy, and as of 2017, had assisted over 150,000 homeowners to make $4 billion worth of energy efficient improvements.
Although it is a national program, local governments are overseeing it to fit the unique needs of each community. P.A.C.E currently operates in only three states: California, Missouri, and Florida.
Qualifying for P.A.C.E in Florida
In order to get your storm windows and doors financed in Florida, a homeowner has to put in a request. Floridian loan requests are handled through the Florida P.A.C.E Funding Agency, which is solely managed by local Floridian governments. Requiring little more than proof of your home’s equity and a history of making on-time mortgage payments, P.A.C.E offers the means to upgrade one’s home without a credit check or downpayment.
Which Improvements Qualify?
The P.A.C.E program aims to encourage energy efficiency, water conservation and protective measures for one’s home. Loans are applicable for renovations such as:
- Replacing faulty heating/cooling systems (including hot water heaters)
- Insulating the home
- Installing ENERGY STAR approved appliances
- Installing solar paneling
- Seismic retrofits as protection against earthquakes
- Storm windows & doors as protection against wind hazards
Benefits of P.A.C.E
Local governments regard the loans to be highly beneficial and that they will revitalize residential communities and increase property values. Homeowners find these loans favorable by enabling them to bypass the large upfront costs that typically come about when taking on home improvement projects of such a scale. The P.A.C.E program offers homeowners 20 to 30 years to make payments with fixed interest rates.
The P.A.C.E program is even more appealing because any debt accumulated ties itself to the property. This means that they aren’t putting in reserve efficiency upgrades for long-term homeowners. Should a P.A.C.E. recipient move, they do not carry the burden of the previous home’s upgrades with him. The program boasts that these improvements better secure your home improving your family’s overall safety. They also claim that they could reduce property insurance bills up to 77% by these upgrades.
If you’ve been putting off renovating your home and making it safer with impact glass, there’s no reason to hesitate any longer. Apply for a P.A.C.E loan and get your storm windows & doors financed just in time for hurricane season. Contact the experts at ASP Windows – the premier impact window, entry doors, hurricane resistant patio doors, storefront and glazing contractors in South Florida.
