Getting a conventional loan in Colorado: numbers, limits and rules
Conforming limit $832,750, median about $550,000, property tax about 0.49%: those three figures decide most of what a conventional mortgage costs in Colorado. Below, the down payment and monthly numbers at 3%, 5%, 10% and 20% down, the month PMI can end, and the state rules a conventional borrower here should know.
| Conforming limit (2026, one unit) | $832,750 baseline in 44 of 64 counties, 20 high-cost counties up to $1,249,125 (Eagle County) |
|---|---|
| Median home price (approx.) | $550,000 — statewide order of magnitude |
| 20% down on the median | $110,000 down, loan $440,000, about $2,781/month P&I at 6.5% |
| 5% down on the median | $27,500 down, loan $522,500, about $3,303/month P&I + about $327 PMI |
| PMI ends (5% down, scheduled payments) | request at 80% after about 10 years and 4 months, automatic at 78% after about 11 years and 3 months |
| Property tax (effective) | about 0.49% — roughly $2,695 a year on the median |
| Closing practice | Title company closing state |
How much house stays conforming in Colorado
A conventional loan is conforming when it fits Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s limit and their guidelines; in Colorado that limit is $832,750 for a one-unit home in 2026. With 20% down, a purchase up to about $1,040,938 stays conforming; with 5% down, up to about $876,579. The state’s $550,000 median leaves ample room, so a typical purchase here is conforming unless the buyer is in a premium neighborhood. Every Colorado county is in the table below; see conforming loan limits and jumbo loans.
Conforming limits for all 64 Colorado counties
The 64 counties of Colorado split into two groups for 2026: 44 at the $832,750 baseline and 20 FHFA high-cost counties (bold in the table) with one-unit limits up to $1,249,125. A buyer who crosses into Eagle County gains $416,375 of conforming room over a baseline county.
| County | 1 unit | 2 units | 3 units | 4 units |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | $862,500 | $1,104,150 | $1,334,700 | $1,658,700 |
| Alamosa County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Arapahoe County | $862,500 | $1,104,150 | $1,334,700 | $1,658,700 |
| Archuleta County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Baca County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Bent County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Boulder County | $879,750 | $1,126,250 | $1,361,350 | $1,691,850 |
| Broomfield County | $862,500 | $1,104,150 | $1,334,700 | $1,658,700 |
| Chaffee County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Cheyenne County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Clear Creek County | $862,500 | $1,104,150 | $1,334,700 | $1,658,700 |
| Conejos County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Costilla County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Crowley County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Custer County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Delta County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Denver County | $862,500 | $1,104,150 | $1,334,700 | $1,658,700 |
| Dolores County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Douglas County | $862,500 | $1,104,150 | $1,334,700 | $1,658,700 |
| Eagle County | $1,249,125 | $1,599,375 | $1,933,200 | $2,402,625 |
| El Paso County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Elbert County | $862,500 | $1,104,150 | $1,334,700 | $1,658,700 |
| Fremont County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Garfield County | $1,209,750 | $1,548,975 | $1,872,225 | $2,326,875 |
| Gilpin County | $862,500 | $1,104,150 | $1,334,700 | $1,658,700 |
| Grand County | $883,200 | $1,130,650 | $1,366,700 | $1,698,500 |
| Gunnison County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Hinsdale County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Huerfano County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Jackson County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Jefferson County | $862,500 | $1,104,150 | $1,334,700 | $1,658,700 |
| Kiowa County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Kit Carson County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| la Plata County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Lake County | $1,092,500 | $1,398,600 | $1,690,600 | $2,101,000 |
| Larimer County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Las Animas County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Lincoln County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Logan County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Mesa County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Mineral County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Moffat County | $1,089,050 | $1,394,200 | $1,685,250 | $2,094,350 |
| Montezuma County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Montrose County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Morgan County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Otero County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Ouray County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Park County | $862,500 | $1,104,150 | $1,334,700 | $1,658,700 |
| Phillips County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Pitkin County | $1,209,750 | $1,548,975 | $1,872,225 | $2,326,875 |
| Prowers County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Pueblo County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Rio Blanco County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Rio Grande County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Routt County | $1,089,050 | $1,394,200 | $1,685,250 | $2,094,350 |
| Saguache County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| San Juan County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| San Miguel County | $994,750 | $1,273,450 | $1,539,350 | $1,913,000 |
| Sedgwick County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Summit County | $1,092,500 | $1,398,600 | $1,690,600 | $2,101,000 |
| Teller County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Washington County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Weld County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
| Yuma County | $832,750 | $1,066,250 | $1,288,800 | $1,601,750 |
Source: FHFA, Conforming Loan Limit Values for 2026 (county list, mortgages acquired in calendar year 2026). Limits are for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans; FHA and VA use their own county figures.
What a conventional loan costs on the Colorado median
Illustrative 6.5% 30-year fixed rate, principal and interest only; mortgage insurance at typical market rates for each down payment (it varies with credit score); property tax at the state’s approximate 0.49% effective rate. Homeowners insurance and any HOA come on top. None of it is an offer.
| Down payment | Cash down | Loan | P&I | PMI (est.) | Property tax | Monthly total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3% | $16,500 | $533,500 | $3,372 | $400 | $225 | $3,997 |
| 5% | $27,500 | $522,500 | $3,303 | $327 | $225 | $3,855 |
| 10% | $55,000 | $495,000 | $3,129 | $206 | $225 | $3,560 |
| 20% | $110,000 | $440,000 | $2,781 | — | $225 | $3,006 |
The 3% row assumes a program such as HomeReady or Home Possible; income limits apply. Compare with FHA at 3.5% down on the FHA vs conventional guide.
When PMI ends in Colorado
Three dates matter: the month the balance hits 80% of the original price (you ask), 78% (the servicer must act) and the loan’s midpoint (cancellation regardless of value, if current). On Colorado’s median with 5% down at 6.5%, the schedule reaches 80% in about 10 years and 4 months; with 3% down, about 11 years and 1 months; with 10% down, about 7 years and 11 months. Over that time the 5% buyer pays roughly $40,548 in PMI at $327 a month.
Recording taxes, transfer taxes and closing practice
Colorado closings are conducted by title companies, which prepare the settlement statement and disburse; attorneys are optional and rarely attend a residential closing. The state’s good-funds statute (C.R.S. § 38-35-125) requires that funds be collected before the title company disburses, which makes Colorado a wet-funding state with same-day recording at the county clerk and recorder. Title insurance rates are filed with the Division of Insurance and the seller customarily pays for the owner’s policy.
Colorado has no mortgage recording tax or intangible tax. The state documentary fee on deeds is one cent per $100 of consideration above $500 and is paid by the buyer on the conveyance, not on the loan. Recording a deed of trust with the county clerk and recorder involves a per-page fee plus a small statutory surcharge, and public trustee release fees apply when the loan is paid off. Colorado’s state documentary fee is just $0.01 per $100 (0.01%), among the lowest in the country; a handful of mountain resort towns levy their own real estate transfer taxes of 1% to 3% on sales within town limits.
Outside the resort towns, Colorado closing costs are moderate — about 2% to 3% of the price — with title companies handling closings and sellers customarily paying for the owner’s title policy along the Front Range.
State law a conventional borrower should know
Prepayment. Colorado’s Uniform Consumer Credit Code (C.R.S. § 5-1-101 et seq.) gives consumers the right to prepay loans within its scope without penalty, but most first-lien residential mortgages are largely outside the UCCC’s rate and fee provisions, so federal qualified-mortgage limits are the main constraint on a prepayment penalty. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not buy loans with prepayment penalties, so a conforming loan will not carry one.
Spouses and title. Colorado is a separate-property, equitable-distribution state with no dower or curtesy.
Homestead. Colorado’s homestead exemption (C.R.S. § 38-41-201) was raised in 2023 to $250,000 of equity, or $350,000 when an owner or dependent is 60 or older or disabled, after sitting at $75,000 and $105,000 for years; it applies automatically to the owner-occupied home and now also covers mobile homes and certain vehicles used as residences.
The complete state layer — licensing, predatory-lending limits, disclosures, foreclosure — is on mortgage laws in Colorado.
Frequently asked questions
What is the conforming loan limit in Colorado for 2026?
There is no single Colorado number: 20 of the state’s 64 counties are FHFA high-cost areas in 2026, with one-unit limits between $862,500 and $1,249,125 (Eagle County); the other 44 use the $832,750 baseline. Above your county’s limit, the loan is jumbo.
When can I cancel PMI on a conventional loan in Colorado?
Two thresholds apply everywhere, including Colorado: you may ask at 80% loan-to-value (original value, good payment history) and the servicer must stop charging at 78%. Scheduled payments on a $522,500 loan at 6.5% reach 80% of a $550,000 price after about 10 years and 4 months. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also allow cancellation on a new appraisal after enough seasoning.
Does Colorado add anything to a conventional loan’s closing costs?
Colorado has no mortgage recording tax or intangible tax. Colorado’s state documentary fee is just $0.01 per $100 (0.01%), among the lowest in the country; a handful of mountain resort towns levy their own real estate transfer taxes of 1% to 3% on sales within town limits. Outside the resort towns, Colorado closing costs are moderate — about 2% to 3% of the price — with title companies handling closings and sellers customarily paying for the owner’s title policy along the Front Range.
Check it at the source (Colorado)
- Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA): the state housing finance agency (first-time buyer loans, down payment assistance)
- Colorado Division of Real Estate (mortgage licensing): licenses mortgage lenders and brokers and takes complaints
- NMLS Consumer Access: check any lender’s or loan officer’s license
- FHFA conforming loan limit files: the county limits shown on this page
Links checked September 22, 2026. Researched and edited by Clément Lacaille (Tech-Bharat); how we research.
Sources
Related: Rate-and-term refinance: when it pays, how to compute the break-even, DSCR loans vs conventional for investment property: qualify on rent or on income, Seller concessions limits: how much a seller can pay toward your closing costs, Conventional loans for condos and second homes: the extra rules. First home in Colorado: programs and assistance. Hub: Conventional loan.