Home Loans for Colorado's
Teachers, First Responders & Heroes.
If you teach, answer the call, or care for patients, there's likely a program built for you. Colorado educators can get up to 25% down payment help through CHFA Schools to Home; first responders and other buyers have grants up to 3.5% and low-down options. The right one depends on your situation — the first step is a conversation, not a calculator.
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No hard credit pull. No obligation. No pressure. Just straight answers about what you qualify for.
Em is reaching out now by text to get your free intro call with Matt on the calendar. From there you'll book a Google Meet for the full breakdown of your programs, numbers, and options.
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Speak Straight Mortgage LLC · NMLS# 2426226 · Matthew Wentz NMLS# 1852397
That's what the free consultation is for.
Colorado down payment programs, and several are written for the work you do.
Teachers, school staff, first responders and healthcare workers have more options than almost anyone. Here is what is on the table right now.
- 25%for school employees
- 3.5%grants, income cap waived for your job
- 4grants you never repay
- 600lowest score we can start from
Not All Down Payment Help Is Created Equal
A grant, a forgivable loan, and a repayable second are three very different things — and the right one depends on whether you're a teacher using CHFA Schools to Home, a first responder stacking a grant, or a nurse buying a first place. We walk every client through exactly what they're getting before anything is signed.
✓ What actually works
True grants (100% forgiven) — no repayment, no second lien, no forgiveness clock to wait out
Refinance freedom — no second lien means when rates drop, you refi freely. As soon as 7 payments in.
Competitive rates — our best grant programs carry measurably low rates in many cases — lower than typical CHFA program rates. Ask us what's current when we talk.
Up to 3.5% grant (FHA-based) — some programs exceed what CHFA offers. Eligibility varies by income and profession.
Conventional loans with grants up to 3% — sometimes a conventional loan with a grant attached is the cleaner path than an FHA program. Lower MIP, no upfront fee.
⚠ What to understand before you commit
DPA second mortgages — sometimes the only option available, and can absolutely work. But a second lien means you need to pay it off or subordinate it to refinance. If rates drop, that adds a step. Understand it going in.
Forgivable-over-time programs — not the same as a grant. You're on a forgiveness clock. Leave before time's up and you may owe it back. Know your timeline before choosing one.
Program rates — some DPA programs carry higher rates than market. The rate premium can exceed the value of the assistance over time. We run the numbers so you can make an informed choice.
"Up to $25,000 in assistance" — this phrase is everywhere in ads. It does not necessarily mean a grant. Often it's a loan. Always ask: is this a true grant, a forgivable loan, or a repayable second? The answer changes everything.
Programs for Colorado's Public Servants
You spend your days taking care of everyone else. Buying a home should not feel like another shift. These are the programs we originate for the people who serve Colorado, and we offer every one of them.
First Responder & Healthcare Grants, Up to 3.5%
Money you never repay, with no second lien. For police, fire, EMS and public safety (active, retired or volunteer), nurses and healthcare workers, educators, civil servants and military. The usual income limit is waived for you, so overtime will not knock you out, and you do not need to be a first-time buyer. FHA grants of 2% or 3.5% from a 620 score.
Never repaid · Income cap waived · Not first-time onlyConventional with Grant, 1% to 3%
A grant of 1% to 3% on a conventional loan, with the same income-limit waiver for the jobs above. Mortgage insurance drops off at 20% equity, so it is often the better long-term structure when your score is around 620 and up.
Up to 3% grant · MI falls off · 620+CHFA Programs
A 3% grant or a 4% no-payment second (up to $25,000) on FHA, VA or USDA, a 4% second on conventional, and $25,000 for first-generation buyers or households with a disability. Most have no first-time-buyer rule. Income up to $178,920 on most, 620 credit, single-unit homes, 30-year loans.
Grant or deferred second · 620+ · StatewideForgivable and FHA Seconds, 3.5% to 5%
For scores from 600. A 0% second with no payment that is forgiven after 36 or 60 on-time payments, or a small 10 to 15 year second you repay. Most have no income limit, and several allow a 25-year loan, which can help when a 30-year was turned down elsewhere.
600+ credit · Forgiven or repayable · 25-year optionsMetro Down Payment Assistance
3% or 4% of the loan as a no-payment second for buyers in participating Denver-metro and Northern Colorado cities, with no first-time-buyer rule and no price limit, plus Denver First Generation: $30,000 at 0% with no monthly payment for first-time, first-generation buyers in the City of Denver (debt limit 43%). Always ask whether it is a grant, a forgivable second or a repayable second; the advertised number does not tell you.
Always ask: grant, forgivable or repayable?USDA, 0% Down
Zero down in eligible rural and suburban areas around the metro (the City and County of Denver itself is not eligible, but many areas outside the core metro are). Household income limit in the Denver metro: $153,550 for 1 to 4 people. How USDA works · Check an address on USDA's map
0% down · Income limit by countyFHA & Conventional Low-Down
3% to 3.5% down when a program is not the right fit. Seller concessions and family gift money can cover closing costs. Sometimes the most straightforward path when program rates do not pencil out.
3–3.5% down · Seller concessions availableDown payment help
There is more help out there than most buyers ever hear about.
Saving the down payment is the part that keeps most people renting. Colorado has about twenty programs that cover some or all of it: grants you never repay, seconds that are forgiven over time, CHFA programs, and USDA loans with nothing down. Put in what you know and see which ones fit you, then let us walk you through the best one.
All 22 Colorado down payment programs: who qualifies, how much, and whether you repay it
4 grants you never repay, 4 forgivable seconds, 11 no-payment seconds repaid when you sell, 4 seconds with a small payment, and USDA with nothing down. CHFA income limits effective June 15, 2026; USDA limits effective July 13, 2026.
| Program | Kind of help | Amount | Loan | Term | Units | Min score | Income limit | First-time buyer? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CHFA Schools to Home | Deferred second | Up to 25% | Conventional | 30-yr | 1 | 620 | $178,920 | No |
| CHFA SmartStep Plus (grant) | Grant | Up to 3% (max $25,000) | FHA, VA, USDA | 30-yr | 1 | 620 | $178,920 | No |
| CHFA SmartStep Plus (second) | Deferred second | Up to 4% (max $25,000) | FHA, VA, USDA | 30-yr | 1 | 620 | $178,920 | No |
| CHFA FirstStep Plus | Deferred second | Up to 4% (max $25,000) | FHA | 30-yr | 1 | 620 | By county and household size | Outside targeted areas |
| CHFA FirstGeneration Plus | Deferred second | $25,000 | FHA | 30-yr | 1 | 620 | By county and household size | First-generation only |
| CHFA Preferred Plus | Deferred second | Up to 4% (max $25,000) | Conventional | 30-yr | 1 | 620 | $178,920 | No |
| CHFA Preferred Plus (very low income) | Deferred second | Up to 4% (max $25,000) | Conventional | 30-yr | 1 | 620 | County very-low-income limit | No |
| CHFA HomeAccess Plus | Deferred second | Up to $25,000 | FHA, VA, USDA | 30-yr | 1 | 620 | $178,920 | No |
| Metro Down Payment Assistance (FHA/VA/USDA) | Deferred second | 3% or 4% | FHA, VA, USDA | 30-yr | 1–2 | 620 | $216,000 | No |
| Metro Down Payment Assistance (conventional, ≤80% AMI) | Deferred second | 3% or 4% | Conventional | 30-yr | 1–2 | 620 | 80% of area median, by county | No |
| Metro Down Payment Assistance (conventional, over 80% AMI) | Deferred second | 3% or 4% | Conventional | 30-yr | 1–2 | 620 | $216,000 | No |
| Denver First Generation (metroDPA) | Deferred second | $30,000 (max 20% of price) | FHA | 30-yr | 1–2 | 620 | $100,800 (1 person) to $190,100 (8), whole household | First-generation only |
| Evergreen Grant (FHA, 2% or 3.5%) | Grant | 2% or 3.5% | FHA | 20 / 25 / 30-yr | 1–4 | 620 | ≤140% of area median, waived for first-time buyers and many jobs | No |
| Overlook Grant (FHA, 2% or 3.5%) | Grant | 2% or 3.5% | FHA | 25 / 30-yr | 1–2 | 640 | ≤160% of area median, waived for first-time buyers and many jobs | No |
| Overlook Grant (conventional, 1–3%) | Grant | 3% | Conventional | 30-yr | 1–4 | 620 | ≤160% of area median, waived for first-time buyers and many jobs | Only under 5% down |
| Keystone Second (FHA, repayable 3.5% or 5%) | Repayable second | Up to 5% | FHA | 25 / 30-yr | 1–2 | 600 | None | No |
| Keystone Second (FHA, forgivable 3.5% or 5%) | Forgivable second | Up to 5% | FHA | 25 / 30-yr | 1–2 | 600 | None | No |
| Kiowa Second (FHA, 3.5% forgiven in 3 years) | Forgivable second | 3.5% | FHA | 25 / 30-yr | 1–2 | 600 | Being confirmed | No |
| Kiowa Second (FHA, repayable 3.5% or 5%) | Repayable second | Up to 5% | FHA | 25 / 30-yr | 1–2 | 600 | Being confirmed | No |
| Orchard Second (FHA, 3.5% or 5%) | Forgivable second, Repayable second | 3.5% or 5% | FHA, USDA | 25 / 30-yr | 1–2 | 660 | None | No |
| Ouray Second (FHA, 3.5% or 5%) | Forgivable second, Repayable second | 3.5% or 5% | FHA | 30-yr | 1–2 | 660 | None on repayable; ≤160% of area median on forgivable | No |
| USDA Rural Development loan (0% down) | 0% down loan | 100% financing | USDA | 30-yr | 1 | 640 | USDA county limit | No |
Teachers & School Staff:
You Have Your Own Program
If you work full-time for a Colorado public school, CHFA Schools to Home can cover up to 25% of your loan toward down payment and closing costs — and you don't have to be a teacher or a first-time buyer. Custodians, paras, bus drivers, office and food-service staff all count. Check your school below.
Every Colorado public school district counts, including Denver County 1 (190), Jefferson County R-1 (143), Douglas County Re 1 (85), Cherry Creek 5 (68), Adams-Arapahoe 28J (59), Boulder Valley Re 2 (56), St Vrain Valley RE1J (54), Adams 12 Five Star Schools (53), Poudre R-1 (52), Greeley 6 (33), School District 27J (33), Thompson R2-J (32), Littleton 6 (20), Mapleton 1 (20), plus charter schools and BOCES. 1871 schools in all.
Teachers, First Responders & Everyone Who Serves
Educators, police, firefighters, EMS, 911 dispatchers, nurses and healthcare workers — plus programs open to any qualifying Colorado buyer. If you don't see your exact role here, ask anyway; the right structure usually exists.
Police / Law Enforcement
Active and retired. Full-time and part-time.
Firefighters
Career and volunteer. Municipal and county.
Nurses & Healthcare
RN, LPN, CNA, medical staff. Public and private.
EMT / Paramedic
First responders at all certification levels.
911 Dispatchers
Often overlooked — frequently qualify.
First-Time Buyers
Haven't owned in 3+ years? You may qualify as a first-timer.
The DPA Questions You Should Always Ask
The question that changes everything: grant, loan, or something in between?
If you have your own down payment, that's an entirely different conversation — different options, often better rates, no program restrictions. If you don't, the structure of the assistance matters as much as the dollar amount.
True grants are generally the best option when available. No second lien, no forgiveness clock, no subordination request when you refinance. We can often find grant programs for qualifying buyers — sometimes exceeding what CHFA offers.
But DPA second mortgages are not inherently bad — sometimes they're the only path to homeownership available, and for the right buyer with a longer timeline, they work fine. What we won't do is let you sign up for one without understanding exactly what it means for your ability to refinance later.
"Up to $25,000 in assistance" — if you've seen this in ads, understand that it usually isn't a grant. It's typically a forgivable loan or repayable second. Ask the question every time: is this a grant, a forgivable loan, or a repayable second? Those are three completely different things.
4 Steps to Your Home
Complete the 60-Second Survey
Tell us who you are, what you're looking for, and where you're at. No hard credit pull. No commitment. Em will reach out by text and email to set up your next step. Em will reach out by text same day or next day.
Free Consultation with Our DPA Specialists
This is where the real work happens. We bring in our network of realtors and lending specialists who have direct experience with Colorado DPA and first responder programs. You get straight answers on which programs you actually qualify for, what the real rate and payment looks like, and what the grant structure means for your ability to refinance. No sales pitch. No pressure.
Pre-Qualification & Program Match
Once we know your situation, we pull income, credit, and program eligibility. We match you to the best structure — true grant, not a second loan — and build your pre-approval letter so sellers take you seriously.
Close With the Right Program
We close fast. You walk away with a grant you don't repay, a rate you can live with, and the freedom to refinance when rates improve. We close what we commit to — no surprises at the table.
Ready to Find Out What You Qualify For?
Takes 60 seconds. No hard credit pull. No obligation. Em will reach out by text same day or next day.
