Kenna Real Estate Group · Senior transitions
Assisted living in Colorado runs $5,000 to $8,500 a month. Here is how heirs and caregivers sell the house to fund it, in what order, how fast it can close, and the Medicaid look-back and estate-recovery rules that decide what to do with the money.
A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree.
Move first, then sell, unless the home is already empty. An occupied home with a lifetime of belongings does not show; once your parent is settled, the house can be cleared, cleaned and listed, and a Denver-metro home priced right sells in about 53 days. If care has to be paid for this month, an as-is sale closes in two to three weeks at a lower price, and a bridge loan or a home equity line can cover the gap without giving the house away. The money question underneath all of it is Medicaid: gifts or below-market transfers in the five years before an application trigger a penalty, and after death the state can recover care costs from the estate, including the house.
Assisted living, Colorado
$5,000 to $8,500
Memory care runs higher.
Independent living
about $2,800 to $3,100
No personal care included.
Move cost
$4,000 to $12,000
Most seniors shed 50% to 80% of belongings.
Medicaid look-back
5 years
Asset limit about $2,000; estate recovery after death.
| Move first, then sell | Sell first | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Higher: cleared, cleaned, staged | Lower: shown occupied or sold as-is |
| Speed | List 2 to 4 weeks after the move; close 30 to 60 days later | As-is offers close in 2 to 3 weeks |
| Cash gap | Bridge loan, HELOC or family covers 2 to 4 months | None |
| Stress on your parent | Low: one move, no showings | High: showings while living there |
A durable financial power of attorney lets you sign the listing and the deed. Without one, and if your parent can no longer sign, the sale needs a conservatorship from the court, which adds two to three months. If your parent can still sign, do the power of attorney now, before the move.
These are the rules as they work in practice; an elder-law attorney confirms them for your situation, and we work with several.
Your parent keeps the $250,000 primary-residence exclusion ($500,000 married) if they lived in the home two of the last five years, and time in a care facility counts if they were incapable of self-care. Above that, the gain is taxed. The senior property tax exemption survives a move to assisted living as long as the home is not sold; once sold, it ends.
kennarealestate.com · free guide
Sell first or move first, the 30-day path, the power-of-attorney checklist and the Medicaid rules on one sheet
Move first, then sell, unless the home is already empty. A home equity line or bridge loan covers the first months of care. Selling at market value is fine for Medicaid; gifting the house or selling it cheap to a child is a penalty.
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KENNA REAL ESTATE GROUP
Call or text 303-955-4220 · A live person answers.
Call or text 303-955-4220. A live person answers, sends the valuation the same day, and lines up the move manager, the clean-out and the listing.
Call or text 303-955-4220Get the home valueAfter, in most cases. An empty, cleaned home sells for more and spares your parent the showings. Use a home equity line or bridge loan to cover the first months of care.
About $5,000 to $8,500 a month depending on city and level of care; memory care runs higher. Independent living is about $2,800 to $3,100 a month.
After death the state can recover care costs from the estate, including a home that was kept. Selling at market value and paying for care privately avoids that claim. Gifting the house within five years of applying triggers a penalty.
An as-is sale closes in two to three weeks. A cleaned, listed home in the Denver metro goes under contract in about two to three weeks and closes 30 days later.
The agent under a durable financial power of attorney. Without one, a court conservatorship is required, which adds two to three months.
Yes, as long as the home is not sold and the senior still owns it. It ends when the home sells.