The point about ethics and integrity certainly resonates with me, which is partly what has been bothering me.

There are also apps available but I prefer doing it directly in the accounting software or something that integrates with it. 

For this to make sense though, there are some important complexities I'm not yet equipped to navigate such as how the tax credits transfer to new owners, whether appraisers would factor this into the value to preserve mortgage integrity, whether installers have better pricing for investors, etc.  

Eventually they will ask you outright if you own the place and you’d have to lie and it’s not worth hurting your morals or integrity in my opinion

Here's an agency in your area that I recommend:Rezin and Christi Howes - Integrity Insurance (in St.

Your inspector will look for structural integrity issues, life safety issues/fire hazards and inspect your MEP Systems to make sure Electrical panel, wiring, piping, hot water heater & HVAC systems are acceptable/good working condition.Roof/Crawlspace/Attic InspectionsIf you are afraid of heights and don't want to get on the roof, crawl around in a dirty creepy crawl space or climb around in a haunted attic, an inspector can inspect these areas.  

This more a time and integrity decision than a commission vs cost one.

Second, after I've integrated into my career and have really established myself, I want to begin to invest in real estate as well.

For my first couple of deals, I was dishonest and lacked any sort of integrity.

The third party leasing companies are able to leverage economies of scale/ bulk buying power on equipment / vertical integration to drive costs down such that they can install solar cheaply enough that they will be making money on the system very quickly if not immediately (by selling the tax credits to banks/investors/tax equity funds and by selling energy back to the grid at a premium) .