Should I buy a house with solar panels, leased or owned?

Owned solar panels are generally simpler since they belong to the home and transfer with the sale, though you should verify warranty transferability and system performance records. Leased panels or power purchase agreements require the buyer to assume the lease contract or the seller to pay it off before closing. Review the lease terms carefully, including monthly payments, rate escalations, buyout options, and remaining contract length. Leased systems can complicate financing since some lenders have restrictions. Verify the installation is properly permitted and inspect the roof condition underneath, since removing panels for roof replacement is expensive. Arizona utility providers like APS and SRP have net metering policies that affect solar savings, so understand how the system credits work.