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Denver, Aurora and Fort Collins listings (also Trinidad and Cripple Creek outside the 20 counties)

Elevation Community Land Trust homes: buying below market on a land lease

Households at or below 80% of area median income can buy Elevation CLT homes priced below market, with listings seen in November 2026 from about $152,000 to $350,000.

Fact sheet

Elevation Community Land Trust (ECLT) homes

Open

Denver, Aurora and Fort Collins listings (also Trinidad and Cripple Creek outside the 20 counties)

Buyers
Low-to-moderate income households at or below 80% AMI buying a CLT home (ECLT owns the land under a 99-year ground lease; buyer owns the house)
Amount
Below-market prices; listings seen Nov 2026 from about $152,000 to $350,000
Form
shared equity (community land trust)
Income cap
80% AMI: Denver metro $115,200 for 4 (MTSP); Larimer County $104,320 for 4; asset limit $185,000 for 4
Price cap
Set per home
Conditions
Must use an ECLT participating lender; ECLT online orientation plus CHFA homebuyer education; HUD Chapter 5 income rules; resale formula limits appreciation

ECLT homes are eligible for Dearfield Fund DPA. ECLT keeps a list of compatible DPA programs. Income limits: https://elevationclt.org/elevation-community-land-trust-income-limits . Aurora ZIPs 80010/80011 straddle Adams and Arapahoe counties.

Checked November 2026 · method

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How a community land trust purchase works

Elevation Community Land Trust, a nonprofit, keeps ownership of the land and leases it to you for 99 years; you buy and own the house itself. Separating the land from the house is what lets the price sit well below market. The trade-off is a resale formula that limits how much appreciation you keep, so the home stays affordable for the next buyer. ECLT listings have appeared in Denver, Aurora and Fort Collins, plus Trinidad and Cripple Creek.

Who can buy an ECLT home?

Income must be at or below 80% of AMI. For a four-person household that means $115,200 in the Denver metro and $104,320 in Larimer County, and the asset limit for four people is $185,000. ECLT calculates income under HUD Chapter 5 rules. Buyers complete ECLT's online orientation plus CHFA homebuyer education and must finance through an ECLT participating lender. Note that Aurora ZIP codes 80010 and 80011 cross the Adams and Arapahoe county line.

Adding down payment assistance

ECLT homes are eligible for Dearfield Fund assistance, and ECLT keeps its own list of compatible programs. Whether CHFA Schools To Home or Colorado Champions works with a land-trust home is a question for ECLT and a participating lender before you apply, since the lender must be on ECLT's list.

Who is this a good fit for? Buyers who want stable housing costs in neighborhoods where market prices are out of reach, and who accept that resale gains are limited by formula. Because the asset limit for a family of four is $185,000, households with significant savings may not qualify even if income fits. Read the ground lease and resale formula with a housing counselor before you sign, since those documents shape what you can do with the home for decades.

Steps to buy

  1. Check your income against ECLT's 2026 limits.
  2. Complete the online orientation and a CHFA homebuyer class.
  3. Get pre-qualified with an ECLT participating lender.
  4. Watch ECLT listings and apply for a specific home.

See the Larimer County page for Fort Collins context, our assistance types guide, and check eligibility.

County guides for this program: City and County of Denver, Arapahoe County, Adams County, Larimer County.

Questions about Elevation Community Land Trust (ECLT) homes

What does an Elevation CLT home cost?

Listings seen in November 2026 ranged from about $152,000 to $350,000.

Do I own the land?

No. ECLT owns the land under a 99-year ground lease; you own the house.

Can I use down payment assistance on an ECLT home?

ECLT homes are eligible for Dearfield Fund assistance, and ECLT keeps a list of other compatible programs.

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