When looking to buy a home built prior to 2010, a very important consideration is the age of the air conditioning system. In 2010, the EPA banned the use of R22 refrigerant (the stuff that makes the air conditioner chill the air). At that time, all newly manufactured systems had to use the new environmentally friendlier R410A refrigerant. What that meant at the time was that older systems could still be serviced with the older refrigerant, since it was still being manufactured for service and repair use only. However, as of January 1st, 2020, that is no longer the case. R22 is no longer allowed to be manufactured or imported. Only existing stock can be used for servicing older units.
This effectively means that if the air conditioning in the house you are looking to buy was manufactured prior to 2010, it is effectively past its serviceable life. Any leaks or low refrigerant level will not easily be repaired. The unit will basically have no value, and you will need to budget for a replacement system.
Alternative R22 refrigerant, such as R407c, RS-44b, MO99 and Opteon may be available to use as a retrofit option, preserving the equipment until it fails. Check with your HVAC technician for this possibility.
When house hunting, make sure to check the age of the system or the type of refrigerant it uses prior to submitting your offer. If it is older than 2010 or uses R22, consider discounting your offer price.
