Do You Have a PACE Lien? What Miami Sellers Need to Know
A PACE assessment finances things like impact windows, a new roof, or solar panels through your property tax bill instead of a loan, and it becomes a senior lien that sits ahead of your mortgage. Most mortgage lenders won't let a sale close until it's paid off in full, which means sellers in Coral Gables, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, and South Miami can end up scrambling for a payoff figure days before closing if they don't handle it before they list. Florida law also requires a specific written disclosure to buyers before they sign a contract, so this isn't something you can quietly work around.
If you financed hurricane windows, a new roof, or a solar system through PACE, here's what you need to know before you put your home on the market.
What a PACE assessment actually is
PACE stands for Property Assessed Clean Energy. It's a financing program that lets homeowners pay for "qualifying improvements," energy efficiency, renewable energy, and wind resistance upgrades, with no credit check and often no money down. The catch is how it's structured. Instead of a traditional loan, the balance gets added to your property tax bill as a non-ad valorem assessment and repaid over 15 to 30 years.
That structure sounds convenient, and for a lot of homeowners it is. It's also why PACE has become common in exactly the neighborhoods I work in. Coral Gables, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, and South Miami all participate in the Green Corridor PACE program, and Palmetto Bay just expanded its own PACE financing option in March 2026. As I've written about in whether impact windows are worth it before you sell, a whole-home impact window project can run $25,000 to $80,000 here, and PACE lets homeowners cover that without touching savings.
The part most sellers don't think about until it's a problem: because the assessment rides on your tax bill, it has higher lien priority than your mortgage. It's also recorded inconsistently from one program to the next. On Miami-Dade tax rolls and title searches, you might see it listed as Green Corridor PACE, FL PACE Funding, Florida Renewable Energy District, or under a specific administrator like Ygrene. Title agents have to cross-reference the tax roll and the county's lien records to catch it, because it doesn't always show up the way a normal mortgage or HELOC does.
Why it can stall or kill your closing
Here's where this becomes a seller's problem instead of just a financing curiosity, and it compounds the underwriting scrutiny I've already covered in Florida's insurance crisis and what it means for sellers. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac won't purchase a mortgage on a property with an active PACE assessment, and most conventional and jumbo lenders follow that same rule. If your buyer is financing, their loan almost certainly can't fund until the PACE balance is resolved, either paid off at closing out of your proceeds or, in rarer cases, assumed by a cash buyer who's willing to take it on.
I've seen this catch sellers off guard in real time. It's not usually a case of forgetting you have solar panels. It's forgetting that the way you paid for them creates a lien that behaves differently than a mortgage payoff your title company already knows how to handle. A few things make it messier than people expect:
The payoff isn't automatic. You have to request it directly, either through Payoffs@FloridaPACE.gov, by phone, or through the PACE administrator's own online portal. It doesn't show up on a standard mortgage statement.
Prepayment penalties are common, often around 5% of the outstanding principal, so the number your title company needs at closing can be higher than what you assumed you still owed.
The lien stays with the property, not you, which is exactly why lenders treat it as a red flag rather than something the seller can just promise to handle personally after closing.
There's a new federal layer as of March 1, 2026. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's rule applying mortgage-style ability-to-repay and disclosure standards to residential PACE financing took effect this year, and a Florida district court upheld it. That doesn't change what you owe, but it's a sign regulators are treating PACE more like a mortgage than a tax bill, which is worth knowing if your buyer's lender asks more questions than you expect.
This isn't a hypothetical risk. Miami-Dade fielded hundreds of consumer complaints about PACE programs before the county approved new consumer protections, and Ygrene, one of the larger PACE administrators, settled with the FTC and the California Attorney General in 2022 over claims that it misled homeowners into thinking the lien would simply transfer at sale with no issue. One buyer discovered after closing on a different property that "paid off solar panels" advertised in the listing actually carried a $20,000 balance, despite a clean title insurance policy. That's the scenario a proper pre-listing check is designed to prevent.
What to do before you list
None of this means PACE-financed improvements are a mistake. Impact windows and a new roof still help your home show better, insure better, and often sell faster, and roof age affects your buyer's financing in its own right regardless of how you paid for it. It just means the financing needs to be dealt with as part of your listing prep, not discovered by your title company two weeks before closing.
Check your property tax bill and TRIM notice for a non-ad valorem assessment line you don't recognize. If your improvements were financed through a program rather than paid for out of pocket or through a standard home equity loan, this is usually where it shows up.
Request a payoff statement early, before you set your listing price. You want the real number in hand, prepayment penalty included, so your net sheet reflects reality instead of a guess.
Loop in your title company as soon as you're preparing to list, not after you're under contract. They'll need to cross-reference the county's lien records regardless of what your tax bill shows.
Prepare the required disclosure. Florida Statute 163.08(14) requires a specific written statement to buyers before they sign a contract, identifying the assessment as tied to a qualifying improvement rather than the value of the property. Your listing agent and closing team should already have this language ready.
Decide how it factors into pricing and negotiation. In some cases, paying it off before listing simplifies everything. In others, it makes more sense to factor the payoff into your net proceeds and disclose it clearly upfront so it doesn't become a surprise during underwriting.
Your specific number, and the smartest way to handle it, depends on how the assessment was structured, how long you've had it, and what kind of buyer you're likely to attract. That's exactly the kind of thing I walk sellers through before we even talk about a listing date.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a PACE assessment, exactly?
PACE, or Property Assessed Clean Energy, is a financing program that pays for improvements like solar panels, impact windows, or a new roof, with the cost repaid through an assessment added to your property tax bill instead of a traditional loan. It's only available residentially in Florida, California, and Missouri.
How do I find out if my Miami home has a PACE lien?
Check your property tax bill or TRIM notice for a non-ad valorem assessment you don't recognize, then request a payoff statement directly from the PACE administrator, since it may not appear under your name on a standard mortgage document. Your title company can also cross-reference Miami-Dade's public lien records to confirm.
Will I have to pay off a PACE assessment before I can sell?
In most cases, yes. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and most conventional lenders won't fund a buyer's mortgage on a property with an active PACE lien, so it typically has to be paid off at closing out of your proceeds, unless your buyer is paying cash and willing to assume it.
Does financing hurricane windows or a roof through PACE hurt my home's marketability?
Not the improvement itself, impact windows and a newer roof still help with insurability and buyer appeal. The complication is purely financial and needs to be resolved before or at closing so it doesn't narrow your buyer pool to cash offers only.
What does Florida law require me to disclose about a PACE assessment?
Florida Statute 163.08(14) requires sellers to give buyers a specific written disclosure before they sign the contract, stating that the property carries an assessment for a qualifying energy, renewable, or wind-resistance improvement rather than one based on property value.
If you're not sure whether your home carries a PACE assessment, or you want a real payoff number before you commit to a list date, I'm happy to help you sort it out early. Reach out anytime, and we'll make sure your title and your net proceeds are both clean before your home ever hits the market.
About Lynley Ciorobea
Lynley Ciorobea is a Miami-born real estate professional known for helping homeowners successfully prepare, position, and sell their homes across Coral Gables, South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, and the surrounding southern Miami neighborhoods. Since 2007, she has built her business around thoughtful strategy, strong negotiation, and a marketing-first approach designed to help listings stand out in an ever-evolving market.
A true local, Lynley grew up in Pinecrest and graduated from Palmer Trinity School before attending Duke University, where she earned a BA in Psychology. Her deep roots in Miami give her a nuanced understanding of the architecture, lifestyle, and character that make each neighborhood distinct. From classic Old Spanish homes in Coral Gables to newer construction in South Miami and Pinecrest, she brings a local perspective that goes far beyond surface-level market knowledge.
Over the years, Lynley has naturally become a trusted resource for homeowners preparing to sell. Many of her clients come to her long before their home ever hits the market, looking for guidance on timing, pricing, improvements, and how to position their property thoughtfully. She approaches each listing as a strategic launch rather than a simple transaction, combining market insight, negotiation experience, and elevated marketing to help sellers move forward with clarity and confidence.
As the founder of the Lynley Residential Group, Lynley remains personally involved in every listing she represents. She leads each transaction from initial strategy through closing, ensuring that every detail — from pricing and preparation to storytelling and exposure — reflects the uniqueness of the home itself. Her work often centers on architecturally interesting properties and homes where thoughtful positioning can make a meaningful difference in outcome.
Throughout her career, Lynley has consistently ranked among the top real estate agents in Miami. She has been recognized as part of EWM's Chairman's Club, placing in the top 5% of the company; in 2022 she was honored as the #2 individual agent at the company overall with $37 million in annual sales; and she's a leader in Miami with Real Broker. With more than $100 million in career transactions and more than 60 5-star Google reviews, her experience spans a wide range of property types while maintaining a strong focus on seller representation in southern Miami.
Beyond her work with clients, Lynley is known locally for her market insight and community-focused content. Through her weekly newsletter, neighborhood videos, blog posts, and social media, she shares thoughtful perspectives on the Miami real estate market and the lifestyle that surrounds it. Her approach is informative without being overwhelming, offering homeowners a clear understanding of how market conditions affect real decisions.
If you're preparing to sell a home in Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay, or nearby areas, Lynley offers a local perspective shaped by experience, relationships, and a genuine understanding of what makes Miami homes so special. Learn more at lynleyresidential.com.