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New - Just Now
Should you buy a house now or wait? In Colorado in 2026, the answer depends on your life, not the market. Rates near 7.5%, the most homes for sale in 14 years and prices flat to down in much of the Denver metro make headlines, but none of them know how long you will stay, how steady your income is or what you pay in rent. These 8 questions decide it for buyers in Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs and across the Front Range.
Call or text 303-955-4220. A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree.
The 8 questions that decide it
| Question | Buy now when... | Wait when... |
|---|---|---|
| 1. How long will you stay? | 5 years or more | Under 3 years |
| 2. Is your income steady? | Same job or field 2 years | A job change is coming |
| 3. Does the payment fit? | Payment + utilities under your rent plus savings room | It takes every dollar |
| 4. Reserves after closing? | 3 months of payments left over | Closing empties savings |
| 5. Credit score? | 580+ (FHA) or a lender approval in hand | Collections still open |
| 6. Down payment help? | You qualify for CHFA or a $1,000 cash-to-close program | You have not checked |
| 7. Does the home fit 5 years out? | Room for the next stage of life | You will outgrow it in 2 |
| 8. What does rent do? | Your rent rises every renewal | You have a cheap long-term lease |
The market side, in plain numbers
Buyers have more room than any fall since 2011. Metro Denver had 13,567 homes for sale in September and 4.76 months of supply. Condo and townhome prices are down 6.28% from last year. Sellers pay closing costs and rate buydowns again. The trade-off is the rate: 7.49% on a 30-year loan in early October.
Principal + interest on a $350,000 loan
If rates fall a full point, the payment drops $235 a month, and you refinance to get it. If you wait for that point instead, you keep paying rent, and the home you want sells to someone else.
Ways Colorado buyers get in now
- CHFA down payment assistance for first-time and moderate-income buyers.
- The $1,000 cash-to-close program with a 620 score.
- An assumable mortgage at the seller's lower rate.
- A rent-to-own path if you need a year to qualify.
- Read rent or buy in Colorado for the full side-by-side.
When waiting is the right call
Wait if you plan to move within three years, your income is about to change, or buying leaves you without reserves. Use the time to raise your score, save three months of payments and get pre-approved, so you move fast when your life says go.
