Colorado First-Time Homebuyer Grants: What's Available in 2026

Lauren sits down with Marc Emrich, Senior Loan Originator at Pivot Lending Group, to walk through the grant and down payment assistance programs available to first-time homebuyers in Colorado in 2026. They cover how these programs actually work, where to find them — including statewide options through CHFA and local programs in Denver and surrounding counties — and who is eligible. Listeners will come away knowing that more help exists than they probably assumed, and that a free conversation with a mortgage professional is the right first step to finding out where they stand. Home Base is a weekly podcast from Pivot Lending Group helping first-time homebuyers understand the mortgage process, available assistance programs, and what to expect on the road to ownership. 🌐 Resources in English & Spanish: https://cofirsttimebuyergrants.com/

https://cofirsttimebuyergrants.com/

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Home Base, the podcast that helps first-time homebuyers understand the road to owning their own home. I am your host, Lauren, and every week I'm joined by Mark Emmerich, Senior Loan Originator at Pivot Lending Group. Let us get into it. Mark, welcome back. Always good to have you in the chair.

SPEAKER_00 0:17

Thanks, Lauren. Glad to be here. It's a good week to be talking about what we're talking about.

SPEAKER_01 0:22

Today, we're getting into something a lot of first-time buyers in Colorado don't even know exists: grant programs and down payment assistance. If saving up has been the thing standing between you and buying, this episode is for you. So let's just start at the top. When we say grants for home buyers, is that actually real? Like, is someone just gonna hand you money to buy a house?

SPEAKER_00 0:43

It sounds too good to be true, but yes, some of these programs are exactly that. Certain assistance programs in Colorado provide funds with no repayment requirement at all, as long as you meet the program terms. Others are structured a little differently, more like a second mortgage that sits quietly in the background. But the key point is that both types reduce the cash you need to bring to closing, which is the real barrier for a lot of buyers.

SPEAKER_01 1:09

Okay, so what does second mortgage that sits quietly actually mean? I want to make sure people understand that.

SPEAKER_00 1:15

Great question to dig into. These are sometimes called silent second mortgages. There's no monthly payment on them, they don't show up on your statement every month the way your primary mortgage does. The balance is either forgiven over time or it becomes due when you sell the home, refinance, or pay off your loan. So for buyers who plan to stay in the home for a while, the practical effect is often very similar to a grant. That's really helpful context.

SPEAKER_01 1:41

So where does someone in Colorado actually go to find these programs? Is there one place to start?

SPEAKER_00 1:47

The main starting point for statewide programs is CHFA, the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority. They administer several programs for first-time buyers that can be used alongside a CHFA mortgage loan. The assistance can go toward your down payment, your closing costs, or both. And CHFA programs are available through approved lenders all across Colorado, not just in Denver, but in rural counties too.

SPEAKER_01 2:10

What about people who are buying in a specific city or county? Is there anything beyond CHFA?

SPEAKER_00 2:17

There really is, and this is where it gets interesting. Denver has its own home buyer assistance programs for buyers purchasing within city limits. Jefferson County, Adams County, Arapaho County, several Metro counties have their own additional resources on top of what CHFA offers. A lot of these local programs are funded through federal community development block grants and local housing funds. The thing to know is that availability can change year to year. So you want to check current status rather than assuming what was available last year is still open today.

SPEAKER_01 2:49

Oh, that's an important point. So can you stack these programs? Like, could someone use a CHFA program and a county program at the same time?

SPEAKER_00 2:57

Sometimes, yes. Some programs can be layered. That's actually the term used in the industry where you combine assistance from one program alongside another, but it depends on the specific programs involved because not every combination is compatible. That's really where having a mortgage professional who knows these programs well makes a big difference. They can look at your situation and identify which combination works best, rather than you trying to piece it together on your own.

SPEAKER_01 3:25

Let's talk about who qualifies. I think a lot of buyers assume these programs are only for people with very low incomes, and they count themselves out before they even ask.

SPEAKER_00 3:36

That assumption causes people to miss out, and it's worth correcting. Income limits do exist. They're typically set based on a percentage of the area median income for your county. But many programs serve a pretty broad range of income levels. It's not only buyers at the very bottom of the income scale, eligibility also looks at the purchase price of the home and your credit worthiness. The honest answer is that you genuinely cannot know whether you qualify until you have your income reviewed against the current thresholds for the programs available where you're buying.

SPEAKER_01 4:09

And I'm guessing you're going to say that conversation is free.

SPEAKER_00 4:13

Always. There's no cost to explore your options with a licensed mortgage professional. They'll review your income, your credit, and the property you're considering and tell you which programs apply. The only downside to having that conversation early is that there isn't one. Starting early gives you more time to prepare and keeps more options open.

SPEAKER_01 4:31

Okay, Mark, if someone's driving to work right now and they only remember one thing from this episode, what do you want it to be?

SPEAKER_00 4:38

Don't assume you don't qualify before you've actually asked. Down payment assistance programs in Colorado exist specifically for buyers who have the income to support a mortgage but haven't been able to save a full down payment. And there are more options than most people realize. One conversation with the right mortgage professional can tell you exactly where you stand.

SPEAKER_01 5:00

Mark, thank you so much. This was genuinely eye opening, and I think a lot of buyers are going to hear this and finally feel like ownership is actually within reach. We'll see everyone back here next week. That's it for this week's Home Base. If you want to learn more about home buyer programs and resources, visit co first time buyergrants.com. You'll find everything in English and Spanish. We're back next week. Thanks for listening.