Solar-unlocked down payment assistance on an FHA loan. All figures are estimates and subject to credit approval, program availability, and change.
Down payment assistance of up to 5.5% of the purchase price (depending on your lender), applied at closing on your behalf. The exact amount within that cap is set for each deal; there's no fixed dollar figure. It's unlocked by adding a solar system to the home.
Your down payment assistance amount is determined by a few factors: how much you need and what you can qualify for. Typical amounts fall between 3.5% and 5%, up to the 5.5% cap.
Depending on the provider on your deal, it's structured as either a grant or a forgivable second mortgage, and the provider decides which, not you. Either way, the important facts are the same: no monthly payment, no interest, and nothing to pay back.
No. Neither structure carries a monthly payment or interest, ever.
No. If it's a grant, it's non-repayable: no forgiveness timeline, and nothing is triggered if you sell or refinance. If it's a forgivable second: 0% interest, no payments, and a 10-year term on paper, but the full balance is forgiven once your solar system is installed, about 90 days after closing.
With a grant, no lien. With a forgivable second, yes: a subordinate lien is recorded at closing at 0% interest with no payments, and it's released once the second is forgiven (after your panels go in).
There's a temporary second mortgage on paper that covers your down payment: no interest, no payments. Once your panels are installed (about 90 days after closing), it's forgiven completely, and you won't owe anything on it. It's simply the legal structure that makes the assistance possible: a formality, not an obligation.
No 1099 is issued to you. That said, a grant and a forgiven second aren't identical for tax purposes, so please confirm your own situation with a tax advisor.
Uplist and your loan officer do not provide tax advice. Confirm the treatment of any assistance with your own tax advisor.
Down payment, closing costs, rate buydowns, or any combination. When you're approved and the program generates enough benefit, $0 down and $0 cash to close is possible.
No. Your pricing is standard market-rate FHA; there's no rate increase for participating, which is a real difference from most down payment assistance programs.
In most cases, it works alongside grants, gifts, seller concessions, and lender credits, subject to standard FHA limits.
No income caps. No first-time-buyer requirement; repeat and move-up buyers are eligible. And no homebuyer education course is required.
A FICO of 600+ for the assistance. (The FHA loan itself goes down to 580, so if you're between 580 and 599 you may still get the loan, just not the assistance.) Work with your loan officer to see if you qualify.
FHA 203(b): purchase and non-cash-out refinance.
Conventional, VA, USDA, jumbo, cash-out refinance, streamline refinance, investment or non-owner-occupied property, and 5+ unit properties. (Conventional is on the roadmap.)
Single-family homes, townhomes, 2–4 units, and manufactured homes (post-1980s; double-wide is ideal). No condos, per FHA.
47 states, everywhere except New York, Alaska, and Hawaii.
It's unlocked when you add a solar system to the home as part of your mortgage. The solar is the qualifying piece, and a qualified source funds the assistance at closing. Arcasa coordinates the entire solar side: design, a vetted installer, permits, and installation.
After closing, as a post-close improvement, typically complete around 45–65 days after closing (plan on 90 days to be safe). Your closing timeline isn't affected, and you manage none of it.
Yes, outright. No lease, no power-purchase agreement, no third-party ownership, and no separate solar loan. The system becomes a permanent part of your home, and its cost is included in your FHA mortgage.
Arcasa determines the size of the solar system based on purchase price, location, and room size. As a general rule, the size of the solar increases with the size of the desired unlocked down payment assistance.
The solar cost rolls into your first mortgage, so your principal and interest rises modestly. The system's estimated utility savings offset part of that, and those savings are estimated conservatively on purpose. Your loan officer can show you the side-by-side so you can see the honest net.
Utility savings shown anywhere in Uplist are estimates, not guarantees, and actual savings vary with usage, rates, and system performance.
Existing systems and any existing liens are reviewed as part of the quote, so share the address early rather than late.
No, not when installed by a licensed, Arcasa-approved contractor. Panels mount on engineered racking that spreads the weight across the structure; every attachment point is flashed and sealed to keep your roof watertight; and every installation is permitted and inspected to local code. A qualified inspector checks your roof's condition, age, and structure before any work begins.
Roof repair or replacement can be included as an add-on and rolled into the mortgage rather than paid out of pocket. Ask about eligibility for your specific home.
Arcasa Protect is included on solar-enabled mortgages: three warranties, each 25 years — manufacturer, installer workmanship, and an independent third-party warranty that stays in force even if the installer or Arcasa is no longer operating.
Arcasa takes care of the solar side: a welcome call, system design, a site survey if needed, and installer coordination. You close your loan on schedule, and you're kept updated at every milestone so nothing gets lost.
Arcasa's team is available by phone, text, chat, and email, in English and Spanish. You'll get a welcome call walking you through the design, the savings, and the warranties.