Mile High Home Group – Welcome to Denver

Are Denver Condos Hard to Finance?

Denver condos can be harder to finance than single-family homes due to stricter lender overlays on HOA financials, occupancy rules, and investor limits—many require 25%+ HOA reserves, under 15-30% investor ownership, and approved project lists, but strong projects near downtown or LoDo finance smoothly in the Colorado housing market.

Key Financing Hurdles for Condos

After 15+ years in Denver real estate and thousands of transactions, I’ve navigated condo approvals by reviewing HOA docs early in the 10-day option period. Lenders scrutinize master policies (liability/ fidelity insurance), budget stability (no special assessments looming), and litigation history—red flags like low reserves (under 10-20% of budget) trigger denials even with 720 FICO and 20% down. FHA/VA add spot-approvals; conventional demands Fannie/Freddie eligibility. On $500K-$800K units, expect 45-60 day timelines with extra HOA estoppel ($200-$400). Spot approvals for non-warrantable condos hike rates 0.5-1%.

Pre-qualify HOA with lenders first.

Denver-Specific Condo Insights

Core Denver condos in high-rises like The Quincy or Pier 33 face investor caps (20-49% max varies), but Highlands Ranch townhomes ($150-$300 HOAs) breeze through with stable villages near Mountain Vista schools. Littleton real estate condos near public schools qualify easily sans litigation; market cycles tighten overlays in spring booms, loosen falls. Douglas County low-rise condos verify master meters/utilities; compared to Littleton flexibility, urban Denver stacks city taxes (0.65%) on HOA fees. Investor-heavy projects (50%+) force cash or portfolio loans at 7.5%+ rates.

Local banks like Alpine edge nationals.

Practical Advice for Buyers and Sellers

Challenge	Solution	Timeline Impact
HOA Reserves	25%+ target	7-10 days review
Investor Limits	<30%	Pre-offer check
Non-Warrantable	Cash or hard money	+15-30 days

Buyers, pull HOA docs Day 1—run them by 2-3 lenders, prioritize warrantable buildings, budget 1-2% fees in PITI; pair with CHFA for down help.

Sellers, disclose full HOA financials upfront—offer 2% concessions for financed buyers, stage to highlight reserves.

My hands-on, concierge-level service vets condo docs block-by-block, weighs school/HOA fits through market cycles, builds pricing from local sales, and negotiates relentlessly for seamless financing. Clients are long-term relationships and friends, not transactions—integrity, honesty, transparency, and relentless work ethic clear every hurdle.

If Denver condo financing concerns your real estate plans—Littleton, Highlands Ranch options—reach out anytime. I’m here for a no-pressure conversation and honest guidance tailored to the Colorado housing market.