HUD homes · the timeline
The Colorado HUD home timeline: from bid to keys, day by day
Buying a HUD home runs on a calendar, not a negotiation. Here is every step from the day a listing appears on HUD Home Store to the day you get keys, how long each one usually takes, where buyers lose days, and what the Kenna Real Estate Group does at each point.
Call or text 303-955-4220 and a live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree.
The listing appears
Checked here twice a day against HUD Home Store, with its own page the same day.
Sealed bids, opened together
Owner-occupants bid first. Best net to HUD wins, not the highest number.
48 hours to deliver
Signed package and a $500 or $1,000 cashier’s check to the asset manager.
30 or 45 days
Cash in 30, financed in 45, from the day HUD signs. Extensions come in 15-day blocks.
How to read this page. The timings below are the typical HUD pattern on Colorado listings. The bid deadline, eligibility and dates printed on the official HUD Home Store listing, and the dates in your signed contract, always control. When they differ from this page, they win.
The HUD home timeline, day by day
- 1Day 0
The listing appears on HUD Home Store
HUD posts the home with a list price set from its own FHA appraisal, a listing code (IN, IE or UI) and a bid deadline. This site checks HUD Home Store twice a day and adds a page for every new Colorado home, so you see it the same day.
Where it goes wrong: Buyers who find out on day 8 have already lost the quiet part of the window.
- 2Exclusive period
Owner-occupants only
For a set period that HUD prints on the listing, only people who will live in the home (plus nonprofits and government agencies) can bid. Insured homes typically get a longer exclusive period than uninsured ones. Investors wait.
Where it goes wrong: Bidding as an owner-occupant when you plan to rent it is a federal certification you signed; do not.
- 3First bid round
Sealed bids open together
Bids placed in the first round are opened at the same time, so day 1 and day 8 are equal. HUD accepts the bid with the best net to HUD (price minus what you asked HUD to pay in closing costs and commission), not the highest headline price.
Where it goes wrong: Asking HUD for 3% in closing costs on a competitive home can cost you the house; ask only when the home has sat.
- 4Extended period
Daily review, investors welcome
Once the exclusive owner-occupant period ends, typically about 15 days on an FHA-insured listing and about 5 days on an uninsured one, investors can bid too. HUD then reviews new bids every business day, and price cuts typically follow while the home sits. The bid deadline printed on the listing controls.
Where it goes wrong: Backups matter here: when a winner falls out, HUD often goes to the next acceptable bid.
- 5Acceptance day
You have 48 hours
HUD accepts your bid through your HUD-registered broker. Within two business days the signed contract package and the earnest money ($500 under $50,000, $1,000 above, cashier’s check or money order) go to the asset manager. Miss it and HUD moves on.
Where it goes wrong: A personal check, a wire, or the wrong payee is a rejected deposit.
- 6Acceptance + 1 to 15
Inspect, activate utilities, appraise
You may inspect within 15 days at your cost. Utilities are off, so you request activation, pay the fee and deposit, and book the inspector, the sewer scope and the appraiser inside the same window. FHA buyers use the appraisal HUD already has if it is still valid.
Where it goes wrong: A slow water district or a pulled gas meter can eat two weeks of a 45-day clock.
- 7Acceptance + 15 to 40
Underwriting, title, HOA, lead paint
The lender works the file, HUD’s closing agent clears title, HOA documents arrive, and on pre-1978 FHA sales HUD finishes paint stabilization. Extensions, if needed, are requested before the deadline in 15-day blocks.
Where it goes wrong: Waiting until day 44 to ask for an extension is how earnest money is lost.
- 8Acceptance + 30 or 45
Closing deadline
Cash closes in 30 days, financed purchases in 45, counted from the day HUD signs the contract. HUD pays up to 3% toward your closing costs if you asked for it in the bid, and the compensation shown in the listing documents goes to the buyer’s broker.
Where it goes wrong: Late is the same as never unless an extension was granted.
- 9Keys
Move in, and stay
Owner-occupants move in within 60 days and live there at least 12 months (36 for Good Neighbor Next Door). That promise is the reason you got to bid first.
Where it goes wrong: Renting it out in month two is fraud on a federal certification.
How long each step usually takes
Typical durations on Colorado HUD sales. The bar is the number of days; the listing and your contract set the real dates.
Bars are scaled to 45 days. Insured and uninsured exclusive periods vary by listing; the official listing shows the exact bid deadline.
Where buyers lose days, and what it costs
Every one of these is avoidable with a lender who has closed HUD files and a pre-approval done before you bid. One 15-day extension on a home over $50,000 costs $750, nonrefundable.
The Kenna Real Estate Group process on the same calendar
Pre-approved, alerted, ready
Real pre-approval with an FHA-experienced lender, a HUD alert for your cities, the free Buyer’s Playbook read, and the bid worksheet blank and waiting.
See it, inspect from the sidewalk, bid
Walk the home with your agent, swab for meth if it worries you, read the condition report, price the repairs, then bid on the net HUD scores, not the list price.
Package in 48 hours, utilities on in a week
Cashier’s check ready the day you bid. Activation requested day 1. Inspector, sewer scope and appraiser booked in one window.
Push the file, protect the deadline
Weekly lender check-ins, HOA and title chased early, extension requested a week ahead if it is needed, and a walkthrough before keys.
Money on the calendar
| When | What | Typical amount |
|---|---|---|
| Acceptance + 2 days | Earnest money to HUD’s closing agent | $500 (price $50,000 or less) or $1,000 (above) |
| Week one | Utility activation fee and utility deposits | About $150 plus district deposits, mostly refundable |
| Week one | Inspection and sewer scope | $400 to $700 |
| Week two | Appraisal (VA and conventional buyers) | $500 to $700; FHA buyers usually use HUD’s |
| Before the deadline | Extension, if needed, per 15-day block | $375, $500 or $750 by price band, nonrefundable |
| Closing | Closing costs | HUD pays up to 3% if it was requested in the bid; the rest is yours |
Questions about the timeline
How long does it take to buy a HUD home in Colorado?
From the day a listing appears to keys is typically six to ten weeks: an exclusive owner-occupant period and bid review first, then 30 days (cash) or 45 days (financed) to close after HUD signs the contract. The dates on the official listing and in your contract control.
When can investors bid on a HUD home?
After the exclusive owner-occupant period on that listing ends without an acceptable owner-occupant bid, or during the extended period. The listing shows which period it is in and the current bid deadline.
Does bidding on day one help?
Not in the first round. All first-round bids are opened together, so a day-one bid and a day-eight bid are treated the same. What helps is a real pre-approval and a bid priced on net to HUD.
What happens if I miss the closing deadline?
HUD can cancel and keep the earnest money. Ask for a 15-day extension before the deadline, with a lender letter showing the loan is approved pending conditions. HUD-caused delays are extended at no charge if your agent asks.
Do I get an inspection period?
You may inspect within 15 days of acceptance at your own cost, but there is no inspection contingency. Cancelling for condition costs an owner-occupant part of the deposit; a documented lender denial returns all of it.
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; ask how buyer-broker compensation works for the property.
1575 S Trenton Ct
Denver, Denver County · 3 bed · 2 bath · IE$100 down
$480,000
4374 W Pondview Dr
Littleton, Arapahoe County · 2 bed · 2 bath · IE$100 down
$370,000
10630 W 46th Ave
Wheat Ridge, Jefferson County · 2 bed · 1 bath · IE$100 down
$332,800
10351 W Girton Dr Unit 2
Lakewood, Jefferson County · 2 bed · 2 bath · IN$100 down
$302,600
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
17670 E Loyola Dr Unit B
Aurora, Arapahoe County · 1 bed · 1 bath · IN$100 down
$136,000
495 South Dayton St Unit# 1c
Denver, Denver County · 2 bed · 1 bath · IN$100 down
$116,000
2231 South Vaughn Way Unit 111b
Aurora, Arapahoe County · 1 bed · 1 bath · IE$100 down
$78,400
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.
406 High Pasture Rd
Florissant, Teller County · 3 bed · 2 bath · IE$100 down
$390,000
7443 Little Chief Ct
Fountain, El Paso County · 3 bed · 2 bath · IN$100 down
$340,000
300 Kunkle Street
Genoa, Lincoln County · 2 bed · 1 bath · IE$100 down
$265,000
3713 Salida Ct
Evans, Weld County · 3 bed · 1.1 bath · IE$100 down
$245,000
1109 Russell Avenue
La Junta, Otero County · 3 bed · 1 bath · IE$100 down
$234,600
120 E 5th St
Julesburg, Sedgwick County · 3 bed · 3 bath · IE$100 down
$199,500
1226 Pennsylvania Ave
Canon City, Fremont County · 3 bed · 2 bath · IE$100 down
$149,600
1831 Spruce St
Pueblo, Pueblo County · 2 bed · 1 bath · UI$100 down
$119,000
1030 E 7th Street
Craig, Moffat County · 2 bed · 1 bath · UI$100 down
$111,200
1824 E 4th St
Pueblo, Pueblo County · 3 bed · 1 bath · IE$100 down
$100,000
240 Locust Ave
Las Animas, Bent County · 3 bed · 2 bath · IE$100 down
$96,900
2431 Wyoming Ave
Pueblo, Pueblo County · 2 bed · 1 bath · UI$100 down
$92,000
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$111,200
- 1030 S Zeno Way, Aurora$295,000
- 10351 W Girton Dr Unit 2, Lakewood$302,600
- 10630 W 46th Ave, Wheat Ridge$332,800
- 1109 Russell Avenue, La Junta$234,600
- 120 E 5th St, Julesburg$199,500
- 1226 Pennsylvania Ave, Canon City$149,600
- 1575 S Trenton Ct, Denver$480,000
- 17113 E Ford Drive, Aurora$200,000
- 17670 E Loyola Dr Unit B, Aurora$136,000
- 1824 E 4th St, Pueblo$100,000
- 1831 Spruce St, Pueblo$119,000
- 2231 South Vaughn Way Unit 111b, Aurora$78,400
- 240 Locust Ave, Las Animas$96,900
- 2431 Wyoming Ave, Pueblo$92,000
- 300 Kunkle Street, Genoa$265,000
- 3550 S Harlan Street Unit 242, Denver$225,000
- 3713 Salida Ct, Evans$245,000
- 406 High Pasture Rd, Florissant$390,000
- 4374 W Pondview Dr, Littleton$370,000
- 495 South Dayton St Unit# 1c, Denver$116,000
- 7443 Little Chief Ct, Fountain$340,000
Every home above is a verified HUD-owned listing, checked against HUD Home Store on Oct 10, 2026 8:22 am Mountain time. Official source: HUD Home Store guidance at hud.gov; if anything differs, the federal listing controls.
Ask about your timeline
Tell us the home or the city and where you are with a lender, and we will map your dates before you bid. A HUD-registered agent answers, and HUD typically offers buyer-broker compensation as shown in the listing documents, which we explain before you sign anything.
Call or text 303-955-4220
A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree.
Written and reviewed by
Brian Lee Burke, Colorado HUD home specialist and team leader
Licensed Colorado real estate professional since 2002 · REALTOR® · Team leader and licensed broker of the Kenna Real Estate Group at Keller Williams DTC, a group that regularly bids on HUD homes through Keller Williams Realty DTC, LLC, a HUD-registered brokerage · Author of The Real Estate Playbook and Mastering Real Estate. Brian’s full HUD biography.
Last reviewed: September 29, 2026 · Sources: HUD Home Store (hudhomestore.gov) and HUD program guidance, HUD Handbook 4000.1, REcolorado MLS data via kennarealestate.com, and the Kenna Real Estate Group’s own HUD transaction files.
Contact: call or text 303-955-4220 or homes@kennarealestate.com. During office hours you reach a live local Kenna real estate professional, not a robot or a national call center. Brokerage: Keller Williams Realty DTC, LLC (the Kenna Real Estate Group is a group of brokers there), 6300 S Syracuse Way, Suite 150, Centennial, CO 80111. Each Keller Williams office is independently owned and operated. The Kenna Real Estate Group is an independent real estate team and is not affiliated with or endorsed by HUD or any government agency; official property information comes from HUD Home Store. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Free guide, PDF
The Colorado HUD Home Buyer's Playbook
How HUD bidding really works, the nine ways buyers lose, and the bid worksheet. 18 pages, free.
Why you want it before you bid:
- The 15-day owner-occupant window, day by day, so you never miss a deadline
- The net-to-HUD math HUD actually scores, with a one-page bid worksheet
- The nine ways buyers lose a HUD home, and how each one is avoided
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 us about HUD homes
Tell us what you are working with and we will tell you honestly whether a HUD home is the way to get there. No cost, no obligation, and nobody sells you anything.
Call or text 303-955-4220
A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree.
