Greeley-Evans Schools To Home: DPA Help 2026

The Short Version

CHFA Schools To Home is a Colorado homebuying program built for full-time public school employees. If you work full time for Greeley-Evans School District 6 — or an eligible district-area charter school, institute charter school, BOCES, or innovation zone that meets CHFA's eligible public-school employer requirements — you may qualify for a 30-year fixed conventional mortgage paired with a deferred second mortgage worth up to 25% of your first mortgage amount.

That assistance can go toward your down payment, closing costs, prepaids, or principal reduction. The CHFA second mortgage has no monthly payments and no accrued interest while it remains outstanding.

Eligible borrowers must contribute at least $1,000 toward the purchase, although actual cash-to-close can be higher depending on closing costs, prepaids, seller concessions, loan structure, and lender requirements.

Here's what doesn't change no matter where in Colorado you buy:

• Up to 25% of your first mortgage available for down payment and closing costs
• Deferred 0% second mortgage
• No monthly payment
• No separate Schools To Home purchase-price limit
• Statewide income limit of $178,920
• First-time homebuyer status not required
• Only one borrower must be the full-time school employee

The assistance is not a grant. When you sell, refinance, pay off your first mortgage, or stop using the property as your primary residence, you'll repay the assistance along with a share of the home's appreciation according to CHFA guidelines.

Program terms reflect CHFA's published Schools To Home guidelines. Always verify current eligibility and loan terms with a participating CHFA lender before making an offer.

What Is the CHFA Schools To Home Program?

Colorado created the Schools To Home program to help full-time public school employees overcome one of the biggest barriers to homeownership: saving enough for a down payment. The program came out of bipartisan legislation passed during the 2025 Colorado legislative session and is administered by the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA), funded through the Public School Permanent Fund.

Greeley-Evans School District 6 covers Weld County's largest city along with the neighboring city of Evans, and it's genuinely one of the more attainable housing markets on this list — median prices here run meaningfully below Denver, Boulder, or Colorado Springs. Even so, saving a traditional down payment can still take years for a first-year paraprofessional, a bus driver, or a longtime custodian, especially with prices in Greeley and Evans climbing as more Front Range buyers look north for affordability.

Schools To Home helps close that gap. Because assistance is a percentage of your first mortgage rather than a flat dollar amount, the program can go further in a lower-priced market like Greeley-Evans than it does in more expensive Denver-metro districts — which is exactly why this district's price points make it one of the most attainable places to use it.

How the Program Is Structured

1. A 30-year fixed-rate first mortgage. A conventional Fannie Mae purchase loan with a normal amortizing monthly payment.
2. A deferred second mortgage worth up to 25% of your first mortgage amount. Funds may be used toward down payment, closing costs, prepaids, or principal reduction. Zero percent interest, no monthly payment, deferred until a repayment event occurs.
3. A shared appreciation obligation. When repayment is triggered, you repay the original assistance amount plus a shared-appreciation amount determined under the program documents.

Repayment occurs when you sell the home, refinance, pay off the first mortgage, or stop using the home as your primary residence.

Is This Free Money?

Who Qualifies in Greeley-Evans 6 — and Who Doesn't?

CHFA's eligibility rules are intentionally broad. If you're classified as a full-time employee by an eligible Colorado public school employer, your job title generally doesn't matter. Whether you teach in the classroom, drive a bus, prepare school meals, maintain facilities, support students, or work in administration, Schools To Home is based on your employment status — not your job title.

Which Greeley-Evans Employers Count?

• Greeley-Evans School District 6 district-operated elementary, middle, and high schools
• District-authorized charter schools that meet CHFA's eligible public-school employer requirements
• Eligible institute charter schools that meet CHFA's requirements
• Eligible Colorado boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES)
• Innovation zone schools

CHFA verifies eligible employers through the Colorado Department of Education SchoolView database. Your employer must be listed as a Public school. Private schools, religious schools, and independent schools are not eligible.

Do I Have to Be Full-Time?

Yes. Your employer must classify you as a full-time employee. Part-time employees, substitute teachers, and seasonal staff generally do not qualify on their own.

What If My Spouse Doesn't Work for Greeley-Evans 6?

That's fine. Only one borrower on the mortgage needs to be the eligible school employee. Your spouse or co-borrower can work in any other field while the household still qualifies under Schools To Home.

How Much Money Is This, Actually? (Greeley-Evans Math)

The assistance is up to 25% of your first mortgage amount, not the home's purchase price. Those are different numbers, and the difference matters. There are also two loan limits that work together: a maximum 97% loan-to-value (LTV) on the first mortgage, and a maximum 105% combined loan-to-value (CLTV) after adding the Schools To Home assistance.

Is There a Maximum Loan Amount?

Yes. The maximum loan limit is the lower of $832,750 or the applicable Fannie Mae conforming loan limit plus financed mortgage insurance, as applicable. The amount you can actually borrow remains subject to CHFA, Fannie Mae, and lender underwriting requirements.

Is There a Separate Schools To Home Purchase-Price Limit?

There is no separate program-specific purchase-price cap, but the amount you can actually borrow remains subject to applicable CHFA, Fannie Mae, and lender loan limits and underwriting requirements. You may be able to buy an eligible owner-occupied property elsewhere in Colorado, provided the borrower, property, and loan meet all applicable CHFA and lender requirements.

What's the Income Limit?

The statewide qualifying income limit is $178,920. The same limit applies in Weld County as everywhere else in Colorado, and it does not vary by household size.

Shared Appreciation, Explained Without the Spin

Schools To Home uses a shared appreciation model instead of charging interest on the second mortgage. When the loan becomes due, you repay the original assistance amount plus a shared-appreciation amount.

How Is the Shared Appreciation Percentage Calculated?

CHFA calculates the shared-appreciation percentage by dividing the original CHFA DPA Second Mortgage amount by the original purchase price. That percentage is established under the program documents at closing and applies when the CHFA obligation becomes due. For example, $77,000 in assistance on a $385,000 purchase results in a 20% shared-appreciation percentage for this illustration.

How Is Appreciation Measured?

Appreciation is generally calculated as the property's value at the applicable repayment event minus the original purchase price. On a $385,000 purchase that is later valued or sold at $500,000, the appreciation is $115,000. Using the illustrative 20% shared-appreciation percentage, the shared-appreciation amount would be $23,000, in addition to repaying the original assistance.

What If My Home Doesn't Increase in Value?

If your home's value stays flat or declines, you still repay the original assistance amount, but negative appreciation counts as zero. You never owe a share of a loss.

When Does Repayment Happen?

Can I Refinance Later?

Yes — but refinancing counts as a repayment event. You'll need enough equity to cover the original assistance and the shared-appreciation amount, so evaluate any refinance carefully with your lender first.

A Full Worked Example in Greeley-Evans

Let's say you're a full-time Greeley-Evans 6 employee buying a home near Kelly Farm for $385,000, using Structure A. This is an illustration only — your actual shared-appreciation percentage and terms are established under CHFA's program documents at closing.

Although you repay part of the appreciation, you've also benefited from years of homeownership, principal paydown, and market appreciation that may not have been possible had you waited to save a traditional down payment.

The Honest Comparison

The real question isn't whether shared appreciation costs money — it does. It's whether waiting several more years to save a large down payment would leave you in a stronger position than buying sooner. For some Greeley-Evans employees, this program means building equity years earlier. For others who've already saved a substantial down payment, a conventional loan may cost less overall. We'll run both scenarios with you before you decide.

When Schools To Home Is the Wrong Move

Schools To Home can be an excellent fit for many Greeley-Evans employees, but it isn't right for everyone.

• You expect to move within three years. Short holds don't build enough equity to comfortably absorb the payoff, and transaction costs add up regardless.
• You've already saved a large down payment. If you're sitting on 15–20% in cash, a straight conventional loan with no shared appreciation may cost less over time.
• You want to keep the home as a rental. The primary-residence requirement means converting to a rental triggers repayment.
• You're planning a major remodel. Renovations can increase the home's value, so ask your lender how a future CHFA payoff and shared-appreciation calculation could affect your plans before committing to a major project.
• You're buying at the very top of your budget. Zero down doesn't mean zero cushion — unexpected repairs can strain a tight budget regardless of how affordable the purchase price was.
• Your credit score is below 620. A focused six-month cleanup often results in meaningfully better terms.

The Complete Requirement Checklist

Everything below reflects the published CHFA Schools To Home program guidelines.

Loan Structure Rules

• Maximum 97% LTV / 105% CLTV
• No subordinate financing
• No interest-rate buydowns
• No cosigners, no non-occupying co-borrowers, no non-borrowing spouse on title
• Mortgage insurance may be required when the first mortgage exceeds applicable conventional LTV thresholds; your lender will determine the applicable requirements
• Appraisal required — Property Inspection Waivers (PIW) are not permitted

What Kind of Homes Qualify?

• Single-family homes, attached or detached
• Townhomes and Planned Unit Developments (PUDs)
• Condominiums
• Modular homes
• Manufactured homes on permanent foundations, subject to Fannie Mae guidelines
• Homes with existing ADUs, where eligible

Greeley-Evans housing stock ranges from 1920s bungalows near the University of Northern Colorado to newer HOA neighborhoods on the west side of Greeley, with Evans offering a mix of established and newer subdivisions at generally lower price points.

Property Requirements

• Must be owner occupied as your primary residence
• Full appraisal required, meeting CHFA and Fannie Mae property standards
• Properties with deed restrictions, leasehold interests, land trusts, or affordable housing covenants may qualify with additional underwriting approval

Where Greeley-Evans Staff Are Actually Buying

Greeley-Evans School District 6 spans both Greeley and the neighboring city of Evans, giving staff a wider range of price points and housing styles than most Front Range districts.

Cranford & Glenmere

Historic neighborhoods near UNC with Craftsman-era bungalows and established tree-lined streets, generally walkable to downtown Greeley. Browse Greeley homes.

Kelly Farm & St. Michaels

West-side HOA neighborhoods with newer construction, community amenities, and a family-oriented layout. 

Promontory & Highland Hills

Newer growth areas on Greeley's west side, popular for larger floor plans and HOA-maintained amenities like community pools. 

Evans

A separate city just south of Greeley, blending newer subdivisions with established neighborhoods at some of the more attainable price points in the district, with a short commute back into Greeley. Browse Evans homes.

Rather than relying on citywide averages, we pull current local market data and active listings that match your budget, commute, and the specific Greeley-Evans attendance area you're targeting.

Greeley-Evans Buyers: What Makes This Market Different?

Buying in Greeley-Evans involves a different diligence list than buying in the Denver metro or the mountain corridor. Here's what we encourage every buyer to evaluate carefully.

• Floodplain diligence near the Poudre River. Some Greeley neighborhoods sit close enough to the Poudre River corridor that flood zone status is worth confirming before you write an offer.
• Older home systems. Historic neighborhoods like Cranford and Glenmere feature homes from the 1920s and earlier. Inspect sewer lines, electrical panels, plumbing, and roof age closely.
• New construction quality. Much of the west-side growth in Greeley and newer Evans subdivisions is fast-built. A newer home still benefits from an independent inspection, since municipal inspection is a minimum standard, not a quality one.
• Agricultural surroundings. Parts of the district border agricultural land, which can mean seasonal odors or dust that some buyers aren't expecting — worth a drive-by at different times of day before committing.

Step by Step: How to Actually Use Schools To Home

1. Confirm your employer is eligible. Check the Colorado Department of Education's SchoolView database and confirm "Public" appears in the School Type column.
2. Confirm your employment status. Schools To Home requires at least one borrower classified full time. Your HR department can confirm this in writing.
3. Speak with a CHFA participating lender. Our preferred lending partner is Mike Oswald at New American Funding (NMLS #261003), who can compare Schools To Home with conventional financing.
4. Get fully pre-approved. A true pre-approval reviews income, employment, credit, assets, and debt-to-income ratio — much stronger than a basic pre-qualification.
5. Complete the required education. CHFA-approved Homebuyer Education plus the Understanding Your Financial Commitment course. Start these early to avoid delays under contract.
6. Start shopping. We'll help you identify homes that fit your budget, commute, and neighborhood preferences — whether that's Greeley's west side, the historic core near UNC, or Evans.

Greeley-Evans Schools To Home FAQ

Program details summarized from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) Schools To Home program and are subject to change. This article is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a commitment to lend, an offer of credit, or a guarantee of eligibility, loan terms, assistance amounts, or approval. Eligibility, income limits, loan limits, credit requirements, homebuyer education requirements, loan structure, and shared appreciation terms are determined by CHFA and a participating CHFA lender. Verify eligible employers using the Colorado Department of Education SchoolView database. The Kenna Real Estate Group is a real estate brokerage and does not originate loans. Not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Greeley-Evans School District 6. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.