Continued from last week...
This week the folks from UGI were out to install the furnace and coil, but not before another contractor contacted me to propose doing the work for $2,500. UGI had originally quoted me $3,320. I was a bit surprised and discussed the difference with Margaret from UGI, my estimator. She agreed to reduce the price to $2,900, which I appreciated as I already signed the contract!
My application for the Keystone HELP (High Efficiency Loan Program) loan went smoothly, although they made me fax my tax records in (oh well, the life of a commission-only businessman).
The big day came on Wednesday when a couple of UGI trucks showed up. Away went my old clunker furnace...it's already in the truck when this photo was taken. They were quick and efficient. Two techs were there and they were not very chatty, which was OK with me.
Another surprise - the unit was not the one that I had agreed to. I knew that Goodman made the same model number (GMH95) under Amana, Goodman and EnergiAir marquees. I was expecting an EnergiAir - they brought an Amana. I was not unhappy, thought, as I think the Amana name will be better for resale (thinking as a Realtor).
This thing is SMALL compared to my old dinosaur! And it's so QUIET. Since it draws air from outside, I don't have to worry about CO buildup in my unfinished space. It's so efficient that you can put your hand on the exhaust pipe (which is sch40 PVC) when the furnace is on. Love it!
Unfortunately, the A/C broke that evening and we had to suffer through a sweltering night before their repair folks could come out the next morning. The trouble was an old disconnect that the installers had decided to leave. The second crew yanked it out and bypassed it.
So far so good. Tessa from AFC First has been outstanding. Supposedly my paperwork is being sent to Margaret at UGI for completion. I got a 6.99% rate, which is pretty good! Tessa did say that the max loan amount is $10,000 - they may go to $12,000 in certain situations. I commented that PV Solar and other upgrades would be well higher than that. She replied that they were working on that issue, but the fact that the loans are unsecured makes high loan amounts risky. AFC First will be offering HELP mortgages for bigger-ticket upgrades. Interesting!
Overall I'm very happy with the upgrade and financing. My payment is $60 per month and I can pay it of at any time. The rate is subsidized by the State of Pennsylvania, so I guess I'm just getting some of my tax $$$ back...fine with me!
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For Lancaster PA homes for sale click here. Jeff Geoghan is a top real estate expert in Lancaster County, PA, and an involved community member. Jeff's work has been featured in the Lancaster Newspapers, WGAL Channel 8, PA Business Journal and Wall Street Journal. Jeff's blog on Lancaster County and its homes is nationally-featured. Contact Jeff for more help with your Lancaster PA Real Estate needs.
