The trade in one line
You pay less to get in, and you keep less when you leave. Every program below follows that rule. The details decide whether it is a good deal for you.
The main Front Range options
| Program | Area | Who can buy | Notable limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Affordable Homeownership | City and County of Denver | Income at least 50% of area median, up to 80% to 120% by home | Assets up to 1.5 times the home's top initial price; gifts up to 20% of price |
| Boulder Permanently Affordable | Boulder Valley, mostly the city | Program maximum $157,500 for one person to $225,000 for four | Asset limits, such as $225,900 for four; resale price capped |
| Elevation CLT | Denver, Aurora, Fort Collins | At or below 80% of area median | 99-year ground lease on the land; asset limit $185,000 for four |
| Rocky Mountain CLT | Colorado Springs, El Paso County | First-time buyers at or below 80% of area median | First mortgage covers 70% to 80% of price |
How a land trust home works
In a community land trust, you buy the house, and the trust keeps the land. Elevation leases the land to you for 99 years. Because you are not paying for the land, the price drops. Elevation listings seen in November 2026 ran from about $152,000 to $350,000.
When you sell, a resale formula limits your gain so the next buyer also gets a below-market price. Elevation's 80% income limit was $115,200 for a four-person household in the Denver metro and $104,320 in Larimer County. Buyers use an Elevation participating lender, take its online orientation and complete CHFA homebuyer education.
Rocky Mountain Community Land Trust serves first-time buyers in El Paso County, with 80% limits from $65,200 for one person to $93,100 for four. Buyers contribute the greater of 1% or $1,000 and use a 30-year fixed conventional loan for 70% to 80% of the price.
How a deed-restricted home works
A deed restriction is a recorded covenant. It stays with the home through every sale. Common terms:
- A maximum income for each new buyer
- An asset test, often tied to the home's price or your income
- A primary-residence rule
- A resale price formula
Summit County's guidelines show a typical resale formula: the original price, plus 2% a year in simple appreciation, plus approved improvements, plus up to 1.75% for a commission. Denver's program pre-qualifies income for six months at a time.
How income and assets are tested
Summit County's guidelines show the detail behind a typical income test. Income is checked at the first purchase and at every resale, using the past two years, with a longer look back to smooth out an odd year. Household size counts as the greater of the people living there or 1.5 people per bedroom. Buyers may earn up to 20% above the target income, and up to 30% for homes priced at 120% of area median or more.
Asset tests vary. Summit's examples include a fixed dollar cap, two times household income, or two times the purchase price, with retirement, health savings and college savings accounts left out. Denver caps assets at 1.5 times the home's maximum initial price. Boulder lists $225,900 for a household of four.
Plan for paperwork. Expect to show tax returns, W-2s or 1099s, bank statements and a full list of what you own and owe. Self-employed buyers should have a current profit and loss statement ready too.
Worked comparison: capped vs. market (illustrative)
Two homes, seven years of ownership.
| Item | Deed-restricted home | Market home |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | $300,000 | $450,000 |
| Loan at 96.5% | $289,500 | $434,250 |
| Principal and interest at 6.5% | about $1,830 | about $2,745 |
| Resale after 7 years | $342,000 (2% simple a year) | Depends on the market |
The capped home saves about $915 a month on principal and interest. Over seven years that is roughly $76,900. The market home only comes out ahead if its gain beats that savings plus the capped home's $42,000 gain. Run this test with real numbers before you choose.
Adding down payment help
Some cash programs are built for these homes. Boulder's Solution Grant gives lower-asset buyers up to 5% of the price on select permanently affordable or Thistle land trust homes. Elevation homes are eligible for Dearfield Fund money, and Elevation keeps a list of other compatible programs.
Others are not. Boulder's H2O loan cannot be used on permanently affordable homes. Whether CHFA's Schools To Home or Colorado Champions can sit on a deed-restricted or land trust home was not confirmed. Ask the trust or the city which first mortgages it accepts, then ask a CHFA lender.
Where federal discounts fit
HUD's Good Neighbor Next Door program sells some HUD-owned homes at 50% off list price to full-time law enforcement officers, pre-K to 12 teachers, and firefighters and EMTs at government agencies. The buyer must live there as the only residence for 36 months, and the discount is a silent second that shrinks each month. Homes are listed in HUD revitalization areas on HUD Home Store, and buyers enter through a lottery. Current Colorado listings were not verified, and supply is limited. Nurses are not an eligible category.
Questions to ask any program
- What is the resale formula, in writing?
- What counts as an approved improvement?
- Is there an asset limit, and what is excluded?
- Can I refinance later, and up to what amount?
- Which lenders and down payment programs do you accept?
Pick two homes, run the capped vs. market test, then check your eligibility.
Questions
What is a community land trust home?
You buy the house while a nonprofit trust keeps the land under a long ground lease, such as Elevation's 99-year lease. The price is lower, and a resale formula limits your gain.
Who can buy a Denver income-restricted home?
Households with income of at least 50% of area median and no more than 80% to 120%, depending on the home. Assets may not exceed 1.5 times the home's maximum initial price.
Can I use down payment help on a land trust home?
Sometimes. Elevation homes are eligible for Dearfield Fund money and Boulder's Solution Grant covers select homes. Boulder's H2O loan cannot be used on permanently affordable homes.
Is Good Neighbor Next Door available in Colorado?
Only when HUD lists eligible homes in a revitalization area. Current Colorado listings were not verified. Check HUD Home Store filtered to Colorado.
Other guides
- What will you owe back when you sell? Exit math for Colorado down payment help
- Which first mortgage goes with each CHFA program?
- How do lenders count overtime for Colorado firefighters, deputies and dispatchers?
- How do lenders read school-year pay for Colorado school staff?
- How do you budget for a first home in a high-price Colorado market?
- How much do metro district taxes add to a new Colorado home?
- What should first-time buyers check about a Colorado HOA?
- What rules apply to first-time buyers in Colorado mountain towns?
- How does wildfire risk affect home insurance for Colorado buyers?
Check what you qualify for
Six questions, no credit check. Or call (800) 555-0100.
Start the eligibility check