Median Sale Price
$563,000
Colorado statewide median — well above the national $417,700 median
+0.9% YoYColorado · FHA LoansFHA Loans in Colorado:
FHA Loans in Colorado:
Requirements, Limits & Assistance Programs
3.5%Min. down payment
580Min. credit score
$541,287FHA floor — Denver & resorts higher
43%Max debt-to-income ratio
The short version
FHA in Colorado at a Glance
FHA loans are government-backed mortgages that let Colorado buyers put as little as 3.5% down with a credit score of 580 or higher.
3.5%
Min. down payment (580+ score)
10%
Down payment if score 500–579
1.75%
Upfront mortgage insurance premium (MIP)
FHA loans are insured by the Federal Housing Administration and originated by FHA-approved lenders like Intra-Mortgage. Colorado is the one state in our footprint where the FHA loan limit genuinely matters: prices are high enough that the national floor doesn't stretch as far as it does in the Midwest, so the county limit — and whether you're in a high-cost county — is the first thing to check.
Colorado-specific note: Colorado's statewide median sits above the national FHA floor of $541,287, so the county limit does real work here. The Denver metro (Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Douglas, Jefferson) carries a substantially higher FHA limit, and mountain-resort counties (Pitkin/Aspen, Eagle/Vail, San Miguel/Telluride, Routt) run into the high-cost ceiling. Lower-cost areas like Pueblo use the floor. Confirm your county's limit before you shop — we'll pull it for you.
Colorado housing market
Market Snapshot
Colorado is the priciest market in our footprint — which makes the FHA county limit, and pairing assistance with it, more important here than anywhere.
Days on Market
49 days
Statewide average — inventory has loosened from the frenzy years
Longer than 2024Homes Sold
7,546
Statewide, May 2026 — steady demand along the Front Range
StableFHA Share (National)
17%
Of U.S. purchase loans are FHA — a flexible-credit path in a high-price market
National avgBecause Colorado prices run high, FHA buyers here bump against the loan limit more often than buyers in our other states — which is exactly why the high-cost Denver-metro and resort-county limits matter, and why layering CHFA assistance to cover the down payment can be the difference between qualifying and not.
Down payment help
Colorado First-Time Buyer Programs
These programs can be layered on top of an FHA loan to reduce your out-of-pocket costs at closing.
CHFA Down Payment Assistance Grant
Colorado Housing and Finance Authority
- Benefit
- Up to the lesser of $25,000 or 3% of the first mortgage
- Structure
- Non-repayable grant for down payment, closing costs, and/or prepaids when paired with a CHFA 30-year fixed-rate first mortgage. Higher interest rates apply versus taking no assistance.
Source: Colorado Housing and Finance Authority · Verified Sep 8, 2026
CHFA Down Payment Assistance Second Mortgage
Colorado Housing and Finance Authority
- Benefit
- Up to the lesser of $25,000 or 4% of the first mortgage (up to $25,000 regardless of loan size for first-generation buyers and HomeAccess)
- Structure
- 0% silent second with no monthly payment. Balance is due on sale, refinance, payoff of the first mortgage, or if the home is no longer the primary residence.
Source: Colorado Housing and Finance Authority · Verified Sep 8, 2026
metroDPA
City and County of Denver (metroDPA Front Range program)
- Benefit
- 3% or 4% of the note amount, depending on the loan option
- Structure
- 0% interest, 30-year deferred second mortgage with no scheduled payments; not forgiven. Due on sale, refinance, first-mortgage payoff, or if the home is no longer owner-occupied. First-time and repeat buyers. Minimum score as low as 620 (640 in some cases). Homebuyer education required.
Source: City and County of Denver (metroDPA Front Range program) · Verified Sep 8, 2026
Stack these programs. CHFA down payment assistance is designed to sit on top of an FHA (or conventional) first mortgage from a participating lender — grant or silent-second options up to $25,000 go a long way against Colorado prices. In the Denver metro, metroDPA can add more for income-eligible buyers. Confirm current CHFA and metroDPA score minimums with your loan officer.
Real scenarios
Colorado FHA Borrower Profiles
Common buyer combinations we see in Colorado — and how FHA works for each.
Profile A
First-time buyer, Colorado Springs
Buying a $415,000 home in the Springs — more attainable than Denver. Credit 655, W-2 income. May qualify for CHFA down payment assistance, covering much of the 3.5% FHA down payment. Under the FHA floor, so the limit isn't a constraint here.
3.5% downCHFA eligible~40 day close
Profile B
Denver buyer at the limit
Wants a $560,000 Denver home — above the national FHA floor but within the Denver metro's higher high-cost limit. FHA is still an option here precisely because of that elevated county limit. We confirm the exact metro figure and model MIP against a conventional 5%-down scenario side by side.
Denver limit exceeds floorCompare vs. conventional35–45 day close
Profile C
Self-employed buyer, Fort Collins
2-year self-employed history, Schedule C income averaging $95,000/year after write-downs, credit 672. FHA accepts a 2-year average. Needs 2 years of complete tax returns, a year-to-date P&L, and business bank statements. Down payment: 3.5% on a home near the county limit.
2-yr tax returns needed+7–10 day underwriting40–52 day close
Profile D
Resort-county buyer, mountain towns
Looking in Eagle or Pitkin County, where FHA limits run into the high-cost ceiling. FHA can reach higher here than almost anywhere — but prices are steep and inventory thin. We confirm the county ceiling and whether FHA or conventional is the better structure for the price point.
High-cost ceilingConfirm county limit40–50 day close
Run the numbers
Colorado FHA Payment Estimator
Estimate your monthly payment including MIP — the piece most calculators leave out. In higher-cost Colorado counties, confirm your FHA limit before relying on an estimate.
Colorado median: $563,000 · FHA floor: $541,287 (Denver-metro higher)
Rates vary by credit score and lender
Monthly P&I
$3,585
Principal & interest
Monthly MIP
$249
Mortgage insurance premium (MIP)
Total Monthly
Talk to a loan officer$3,834
Before tax & insurance
Estimates only. Does not include property tax, homeowner's insurance, or HOA dues. MIP rate assumes LTV > 90% for loans ≥ 30 years. FHA limits vary by county in Colorado — confirm yours. Not a commitment to lend.
Answers to real questions
Colorado FHA Loan FAQs
It depends heavily on the county — more than anywhere else in our footprint. The national one-unit floor is $541,287, used in lower-cost areas like Pueblo. The Denver metro carries a substantially higher limit, and mountain-resort counties (Pitkin, Eagle, San Miguel, Routt) run into the high-cost ceiling. Because Colorado's median is above the floor, confirming your specific county's limit is the first step — we'll pull it for you.
Yes, especially in two situations: buying in a more attainable market like Colorado Springs or Pueblo where prices sit under the floor, or buying in the Denver metro or a resort county where the high-cost limit is well above the floor. The place FHA gets tight is mid-priced homes in floor-limit counties. We look at your target county's limit and price point together before recommending FHA or conventional.
CHFA and metroDPA programs generally require a 640 or higher credit score — above FHA's own 580 floor. A buyer can qualify for an FHA loan at 580–639 but not yet for CHFA. Given Colorado prices, the assistance is often worth a short stretch of credit work to reach 640.
No. FHA loans have no income maximum. The practical limit is the county loan-size cap. Assistance programs layered on top of FHA (CHFA, Denver Metro DPA) do have income limits, which vary by county and area median income. You can use FHA above those limits; you just may not qualify for the assistance.
FHA guidelines technically allow scores down to 500 with a 10% down payment. Most lenders apply overlays with a 580 or 620 floor. At Intra we work with borrowers down to 580 with 3.5% down. Below 580 you'd need 10% down and should expect fewer lender options and a higher rate.
Typically 35–52 days in Colorado. FHA adds about a week over conventional because of the government-backed underwriting overlay and a stricter property appraisal. Confirming the county loan limit and getting fully pre-approved before you shop a competitive Front Range market keeps you at the shorter end of that range.
From the field
Our Take on FHA in Colorado
"Colorado is the state where we tell buyers to start with the county limit, not the rate. Denver and the mountain counties can go well above the national floor, while a mid-priced home in a floor county can bump right into it. Once we know your county's limit and pair it with CHFA assistance, FHA is very much on the table here — you just have to run it in the right order."
Intra-Mortgage Content Team
Mortgage Education & ContentOur team helps Colorado buyers get the structure right before they shop. That starts with the county FHA limit and layering CHFA assistance where it fits, so the numbers hold up when it counts.
What to watch for on Colorado FHA files:
- County FHA limits — Denver metro and resort counties differ sharply from the floor
- CHFA and Denver DPA income limits that vary by area median income
- Mid-priced homes in floor-limit counties that bump against the FHA cap
Sources & references
Where these figures come from
- 2026 FHA loan limits by county (Colorado floor $541,287; Denver metro and resort counties are high-cost)U.S. Dept. of HUD
- 2026 conforming loan limit baseline ($832,750), which sets the FHA floorFederal Housing Finance Agency
- CHFA down payment assistance terms and eligibilityColorado Housing & Finance Authority
- CHFA Down Payment Assistance GrantColorado Housing and Finance Authority
- metroDPACity and County of Denver (metroDPA Front Range program)
CHFA-Participating Lender
Access to Colorado's DPA programs
5.0 Google Rating
Verified borrower reviews
NMLS #2620605
Equal Housing Lender
Licensed in Colorado
Mortgage guidance
Ready to move forward?
Talk to a Colorado FHA specialist
Get straight answers on your county limit, CHFA assistance, and what you actually need to close — no obligation.