CHFA on a HUD home
CHFA down payment assistance on a HUD home
Colorado’s statewide program pays up to 3% as a grant or 4% as a 0% second, and it pairs with HUD’s $100 down. The rules, the 2026 income limits by county, and the one combination that does not work.
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Up to 3%, never repaid
Maximum $25,000, no second lien, so it stacks with anything.
Up to 4%, 0% deferred
Maximum $25,000, repaid when you sell or refinance. Not with another second lien.
620, a class, $1,000
Mid-score 620, one homebuyer class before closing, $1,000 of your own money.
FHA on IN and IE
Works with the $100 down and HUD’s closing help. No CHFA path on a UI home.
What CHFA gives you on a HUD purchase
| Item | CHFA Down Payment Assistance Grant | CHFA Second Mortgage |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | Up to 3% of the first mortgage, maximum $25,000 | Up to 4% of the first mortgage, maximum $25,000 |
| Repayment | Never | 0% interest, no payments; due when you sell, refinance, pay off the first mortgage or move out |
| Your contribution | $1,000 minimum of your own money (a gift counts), which on a HUD home is the earnest money | |
| Credit score | 620 mid-score minimum (CHFA SmartStep allows no score with alternative credit) | |
| Income | Under the CHFA limit for the county and program (table below) | |
| Class | A CHFA-approved homebuyer education class, finished before closing | |
| Loan | A CHFA first mortgage (FHA, VA, USDA or conventional) through a CHFA participating lender | |
| Can stack with | HUD $100 down, HUD closing help, metroDPA, Schools To Home (grant only) | HUD $100 down, HUD closing help; not another second lien |
CHFA income limits, effective June 15, 2026
Two numbers matter. The statewide limit of $178,920 (any household size) applies to CHFA SmartStep, CHFA Preferred, HomeAccess and Schools To Home. The county limits below apply to CHFA FirstStep and FirstGeneration, the programs most first-time HUD buyers use with FHA.
| County | FirstStep, 1 to 2 people | FirstStep, 3 or more | Purchase price limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | $144,000 | $165,600 | $832,750 |
| Arapahoe | $144,000 | $165,600 | $832,750 |
| Denver | $144,000 | $165,600 | $832,750 |
| Jefferson | $144,000 | $165,600 | $832,750 |
| Douglas | $144,000 | $165,600 | $832,750 |
| Weld | $153,600 | $179,200 | $735,320 |
| Larimer | $130,400 | $149,960 | $664,190 |
Non-targeted-area limits; targeted census tracts allow more. Limits are set by CHFA and change; the CHFA participating lender confirms yours the day you apply. Every HUD listing in Colorado is under the purchase price limit.
How CHFA works with the HUD rules
- The listing code still decides the loan. CHFA FHA on IN and IE homes (the repair escrow is fine). CHFA does not offer a 203(k), so a UI home needs a different path.
- The class has to beat the closing date. A HUD contract gives you 30 to 45 days. Book the class the week you get pre-approved, not the week you win.
- The grant is the simple one. 3%, never repaid, no second lien, so it also stacks with metroDPA or Schools To Home. The 4% second pays more but rules out any other second lien.
- Bid with the CHFA pre-approval in hand. HUD wants a lender letter with the bid. A CHFA lender writes one that names the program.
A CHFA plus HUD example
$300,000 IE home in Thornton, $100 down FHA, CHFA grant of 3% ($9,000). Closing costs and prepaids about $7,800. Grant covers all of it; the $1,200 left over is not refundable, so the lender applies a small lender credit instead of the full grant, or the buyer bids $2,000 higher and asks HUD for the difference. Cash to close: the $1,000 earnest money already delivered. That is the whole transaction.
What kills a CHFA file on a HUD home
- A lender who is not CHFA-approved. Ask on the first call.
- Income a few hundred dollars over the county limit that nobody checked until underwriting.
- The class scheduled after closing.
- A UI listing. CHFA has no renovation loan.
Questions about CHFA on HUD homes
Is CHFA a grant or a loan?
Both exist. The CHFA Down Payment Assistance Grant (up to 3%, max $25,000) is never repaid. The CHFA Second Mortgage (up to 4%, max $25,000) is a 0% deferred loan repaid when you sell, refinance, pay off the first mortgage or move out. You choose one.
Do I have to be a first-time buyer for CHFA?
Not for every program. CHFA FirstStep and FirstGeneration are for first-time buyers (no ownership in the last three years, or never, respectively); CHFA SmartStep and Preferred are open to repeat buyers under the statewide income limit.
Can CHFA cover the whole down payment on a HUD home?
On an FHA purchase with HUD’s $100 down incentive there is almost no down payment to cover, so CHFA goes to closing costs and prepaids instead. Without the incentive, 3% or 4% of the loan covers most of the 3.5% FHA down payment and you bring the rest.
How long does CHFA add to a HUD closing?
Nothing, if the pre-approval and the class are done before you bid. CHFA reviews the file after the lender approves it, usually a few days. Tell your agent so the 45-day deadline is planned around it.
Free guides that go with this page
$100 Down: The HUD Home Financing Guide
The stack that gets a buyer in for about $1,000, worked three ways. 14 pages, free.
The Colorado HUD Home Buyer’s Playbook
How the bidding really works, the nine ways buyers lose, the worksheet. 18 pages, free.
Good Neighbor Next Door: The 50% Off Guide
For teachers, police, firefighters and EMTs: the lottery, the 36-month rule, how to enter. Free.
Where to go next
HUD homes available now in metro Denver
Pulled from HUD’s live inventory and refreshed twice a day. Bid deadlines move and homes drop off the day a bid is accepted, so confirm any of these with us before you plan around it. Only a HUD-registered agent can place your bid; that is us, and it costs you nothing.
5785 Piney River Pl
Brighton, Adams County · 3 bed · 2.1 bath · IN$100 down
$526,000
1575 S Trenton Ct
Denver, Denver County · 3 bed · 2 bath · IE$100 down
$480,000
10630 W 46th Ave
Wheat Ridge, Jefferson County · 2 bed · 1 bath · IE$100 down
$416,000
4374 W Pondview Dr
Littleton, Arapahoe County · 2 bed · 2 bath · IE$100 down
$370,000
10351 W Girton Dr 2
Lakewood, Jefferson County · 2 bed · 2 bath · IN$100 down
$356,000
1608 Oakland St
Aurora, Adams County · 2 bed · 1 bath · IE$100 down
$305,000
1030 S Zeno Way
Aurora, Arapahoe County · 3 bed · 3 bath · IE$100 down
$295,000
3550 S Harlan Street Unit 242
Denver, Denver County · 2 bed · 2 bath · IN
$225,000
17113 E Ford Drive
Aurora, Arapahoe County · 2 bed · 2 bath · IE$100 down
$200,000
8047 Wolff Street #h
Westminster, Adams County · 3 bed · 1.1 bath · IE$100 down
$194,400
26029 Edelweiss Cir
Evergreen, Jefferson County · 1 bed · 1 bath · UI$100 down
$170,000
17670 E Loyola Dr Unit B
Aurora, Arapahoe County · 1 bed · 1 bath · IN$100 down
$160,000
495 South Dayton St Unit# 1c
Denver, Denver County · 2 bed · 1 bath · IN$100 down
$145,000
Across the rest of Colorado
Pueblo, the mountains and the Eastern Plains produce most of the state’s lowest-priced HUD homes. Same rules, same process, and we submit bids statewide.
7443 Little Chief Ct
Fountain, El Paso County · 3 bed · 2 bath · IN$100 down
$400,000
406 High Pasture Rd
Florissant, Teller County · 3 bed · 2 bath · IE$100 down
$390,000
645 Cowboy Way
Canon City, Fremont County · 3 bed · 2.1 bath · IE$100 down
$330,000
1109 Russell Avenue
La Junta, Otero County · 3 bed · 1 bath · IE$100 down
$276,000
120 E 5th St
Julesburg, Sedgwick County · 3 bed · 3 bath · IE$100 down
$235,000
2020 Aspen St
Grand Junction, Mesa County · 3 bed · 1 bath · UI$100 down
$205,000
1226 Pennsylvania Ave
Canon City, Fremont County · 3 bed · 2 bath · IE$100 down
$176,000
10536 Highway 65
Austin, Delta County · 3 bed · 2 bath · IE$100 down
$163,200
3585-3586 Al Fresco Way
Crestone, Saguache County · 2 bed · 1 bath · IE$100 down
$159,700
27424 Frontage Road
La Junta, Otero County · 2 bed · 1 bath · IE$100 down
$152,000
1831 Spruce St
Pueblo, Pueblo County · 2 bed · 1 bath · UI$100 down
$140,000
1030 E 7th Street
Craig, Moffat County · 2 bed · 1 bath · UI$100 down
$139,000
1522 E 4th St
Pueblo, Pueblo County · 2 bed · 1.1 bath · UI$100 down
$131,200
2801 Franklin Ave
Pueblo, Pueblo County · 2 bed · 1 bath · IE$100 down
$128,000
2431 Wyoming Ave
Pueblo, Pueblo County · 2 bed · 1 bath · UI
$115,000
240 Locust Ave
Las Animas, Bent County · 3 bed · 2 bath · IE$100 down
$114,000
Full details on every HUD home in Colorado
Photos, every fact HUD publishes, the financing code, the $100 down flag and the HUD documents for the home, on one page each.
- 1030 E 7th Street, Craig$139,000
- 1030 S Zeno Way, Aurora$295,000
- 10351 W Girton Dr 2, Lakewood$356,000
- 10536 Highway 65, Austin$163,200
- 10630 W 46th Ave, Wheat Ridge$416,000
- 1109 Russell Avenue, La Junta$276,000
- 120 E 5th St, Julesburg$235,000
- 1226 Pennsylvania Ave, Canon City$176,000
- 1522 E 4th St, Pueblo$131,200
- 1575 S Trenton Ct, Denver$480,000
- 1608 Oakland St, Aurora$305,000
- 17113 E Ford Drive, Aurora$200,000
- 17670 E Loyola Dr Unit B, Aurora$160,000
- 1831 Spruce St, Pueblo$140,000
- 2020 Aspen St, Grand Junction$205,000
- 240 Locust Ave, Las Animas$114,000
- 2431 Wyoming Ave, Pueblo$115,000
- 26029 Edelweiss Cir, Evergreen$170,000
- 27424 Frontage Road, La Junta$152,000
- 2801 Franklin Ave, Pueblo$128,000
- 3550 S Harlan Street Unit 242, Denver$225,000
- 3585-3586 Al Fresco Way, Crestone$159,700
- 406 High Pasture Rd, Florissant$390,000
- 4374 W Pondview Dr, Littleton$370,000
- 495 South Dayton St Unit# 1c, Denver$145,000
- 5785 Piney River Pl, Brighton$526,000
- 645 Cowboy Way, Canon City$330,000
- 7443 Little Chief Ct, Fountain$400,000
- 8047 Wolff Street #h, Westminster$194,400
Every HUD home in Colorado, on the map
Price on the pin. Tap one for photos, the listing code and the full details page. Open the full-screen map.
Free guide, PDF
$100 Down: The HUD Home Financing Guide
The $100 down rule, CHFA, HUD paying your closing costs: the stack that gets a buyer in for about $1,000. 14 pages, free.
Get the free guideInstant download. We email you a copy too. No spam, ever.
Find every home available, not just HUD homes
Advanced home search: every listing on the Colorado MLS, with the full filters, on kennarealestate.com.
Opens kennarealestate.com, the Kenna Real Estate Group’s full MLS search. HUD homes only? Use the tiles and the map on this site.
Ask if CHFA fits you
Income, score, county. One call and we tell you which CHFA program fits and which HUD homes for sale this week it works on.
Call or text 303-955-4220
A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree.
