The Quick Read: It depends on the path, because no single dollar figure applies to every Colorado retiree. On the asset qualifier path, eligible assets must cover the entire loan amount, so a $800,000 loan needs about $800,000 in usable assets after credit percentages. On the asset depletion path, usable assets are divided by 60 months to create qualifying income, and the program minimum is the lesser of $1,000,000 or 1.25 times the loan, never below $250,000 liquid when assets are the only income source. All figures are ceilings and floors through select programs, subject to underwriting.
- Qualifier path: assets cover the whole loan, no income documented, 80% loan-to-value on a purchase.
- Depletion path: usable assets divided by 60 months become income that carries the payment and other debts.
- Retirement accounts count at 90% (under 59½) or 100% on the qualifier path, and 70% at any age on the depletion path.
- Statements document every dollar. This is not a no-documentation loan: there are no traditional personal-income documentation, pay stubs or employment verification, but the assets and credit are fully reviewed.
- A retiree buying a rental is a different file and runs on the property’s rent instead.
Which Path Fits a Colorado Retiree?
The first decision is whether the assets cover the loan or become income. A borrower is qualified on one path at a time, and the two paths never blend.
The asset qualifier path is the cleaner fit for retirees with large, liquid balances and a modest loan. Eligible assets, after the credit percentages below, must equal or exceed the entire loan. No employment or income is documented. Leverage runs up to 80% on a purchase and 75% on a refinance, with loans to $4,000,000, subject to underwriting. The credit floor is 600.
The asset depletion path fits the retiree whose portfolio is large but whose loan is larger relative to it. Usable assets are divided by 60 months, and the result is treated as monthly income. That income has to carry the housing payment and other debts through the debt-to-income test. Loan amounts run from $125,000 to $3,500,000. Leverage on a principal residence or second home goes to 80% on a purchase or rate-and-term refinance and 60% on a cash-out. Credit follows the lender’s matrix.
Across Lendmire’s wholesale network, the asset-based mortgage program is placed through select lenders, and each file is underwritten individually. Lendmire is the broker, not the lender.
How the Qualifier Path Counts Your Money
Brokerage accounts, certificates of deposit, money market and savings count at 100% on the qualifier path. Retirement accounts count at 90% if the borrower is under 59½ and 100% at 59½ or older. Accounts combine.
Here is an illustration. An $800,000 loan with $330,000 in brokerage accounts (100% counts $330,000), $300,000 in a 401(k) under 59½ (90% counts $270,000) and $200,000 in savings (100% counts $200,000) shows $800,000 of usable assets. That is reviewed on assets alone, subject to underwriting. The lender’s own calculation governs.
Two timing rules matter here. Funds need 60 days of seasoning, and the lender wants two months of statements for each qualifying account. Reserves are not required at or below 75% loan-to-value. Above that, the lender sets them.
Notice what the math implies. At 80% leverage on a purchase, the retiree needs usable assets equal to the loan, plus cash for the down payment and closing costs. Those funds come out of the same pile, so a retiree should not count one dollar twice. Terms vary by lender guidelines, property type, leverage, credit profile, and full file review.
How the Depletion Path Turns Savings Into Income
On this path, nothing is liquidated. The division is a calculation, not a sale. The lender applies a haircut by account type, then divides by 60 months.
| Asset type (depletion path) | Share that counts |
|---|---|
| Cash accounts and CDs | 100% |
| Securities | 80% |
| Private stock | 75% |
| Retirement accounts (any age) | 70% |
| Real-estate equity | 60% |
Run the shape this way. $1,500,000 in securities counts at 80%, which is $1,200,000. Add $300,000 in cash at 100%. Usable assets are $1,500,000. Divided by 60 months, that is $25,000 of monthly qualifying income. That income then has to carry the housing payment and other debts through the debt-to-income test.
Funds used for the down payment, closing costs and prepaids come out before the division. That is why the answer to “how much” is really a formula. Required assets are roughly the income you need times 60, plus cash to close.
Statements must be at least 120 days old at application, with the newest one within 45 days. Money from the sale of a business, an inheritance or a legal settlement is excused from that seasoning.
Pension or Social Security can supplement asset income, up to a 45% debt-to-income ratio. When it supplements documented income, the minimum-assets rule is waived.
What Doesn’t Count (and the Crypto Question)
Not eligible on the depletion path: custodial accounts, deferred compensation, escrow accounts, foreign funds, cash on hand, stock options, non-vested restricted stock units, and funds from non-regulated financial companies.
Cryptocurrency, precious metals and collectibles are not published as eligible on either path. Pledged or borrowed funds are not either. The documented route is converting them to a seasoned cash balance in a regulated account, with the source reviewed by the lender.
Equity in the home being purchased cannot be the basis for the ability-to-repay review. The federal rule says a creditor may rely on income, assets or both, but the assets must be something other than the dwelling securing the loan, as shown in the CFPB’s Regulation Z ability-to-repay text. The same text requires the creditor to verify the assets it relies on through third-party records, per Cornell’s Legal Information Institute. Cash-out proceeds never count as qualifying assets on the depletion path.
Colorado Retiree Need in Assets to Buy a Home: Three Quick Scenarios
These are illustrations. Real files vary.
The all-cash-equivalent downsizer. A retiree selling a longtime home, with brokerage, CDs and savings that together cover the loan, fits the qualifier path. Usable assets meet the loan at 100% credit, and no income is documented. The risk is seasoning: freshly deposited sale proceeds need the seasoning the lender requires.
The portfolio-heavy, loan-heavy buyer. A retiree with a large securities account and a bigger loan fits depletion. The 80% credit on securities and 60-month divisor set the ceiling. If the converted income does not carry the payment and debts, the answer is a smaller loan or more down.
The under-59½ early retiree. The age line matters. On the qualifier path, a 401(k) counts at 90% under 59½ and 100% after. On the depletion path it is 70% at any age. The same balance can carry more weight on one path than the other, so the path choice is worth testing against the real statements.
Leave Something in the Account
The coverage figure is not the comfortable number. After the down payment, closing costs and any required reserves, a retiree still needs a buffer for taxes, insurance, HOA dues, upkeep and health costs. These sit outside the loan math.
Colorado context is practical rather than regulatory. Front Range suburbs, the Denver core, Colorado Springs, Pueblo and mountain resort towns price very differently, and condo and patio-home communities often carry HOA dues. A larger price pushes the loan up, and that raises the assets needed on either path. Run the target price through the formula before touring.
Leverage is a lever on both sides. A bigger down payment lowers the loan, which lowers the assets needed on the qualifier path and the income needed on the depletion path. It also drains the pile. The right number leaves cash after closing.
When This Is the Wrong Loan
This program is for a home the retiree will live in, or a second home. For a rental, the lane changes. A DSCR loan for an investment property is a business-purpose investor loan, reviewed differently from a standard owner-occupied mortgage. Under Regulation Z’s exemption for business-purpose credit, credit extended primarily for a business or commercial purpose falls outside the consumer rules. The qualification then runs primarily on property-level rental income covering the payment, subject to lender guidelines. Personal income does not drive it.
The asset depletion path can also finance an investment property, at lower leverage: 65% on a purchase or rate-and-term refinance and 60% on a cash-out. A first-time investor there needs a 700 score.
Choosing the wrong lane is the main way these files stall. A big portfolio does not rescue a thin-rent rental on a rent-based loan. A strong rental does not qualify someone for an owner-occupied purchase.
Tax treatment varies; consult a qualified professional.
Key Terms Defined
Asset qualifier path: The route where eligible assets must cover the full loan and no income is documented.
Asset depletion path: The route where usable assets divided by 60 months become qualifying monthly income.
Haircut: The percentage of an account’s balance a lender counts toward qualifying.
Seasoning: The time funds must sit in an account before they count.
Debt-to-income (DTI): Monthly debts divided by monthly income, the test the depletion path’s derived income must pass.
Documents to Gather
- Two months of statements for every qualifying account on the qualifier path.
- Statements at least 120 days old plus one within 45 days on the depletion path.
- A credit report, with the housing history clean at 0x30x12. One late in twelve months is considered case by case.
- Source-of-funds paperwork for any large recent deposit.
- A housing-event record, if any. A depletion-path file needs 4 years of seasoning after one, and multiple bankruptcies are not eligible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a minimum amount of assets a Colorado retiree must hold?
On the depletion path, yes: the lesser of $1,000,000 or 1.25 times the loan, and never below $250,000 liquid when assets are the only income source. The qualifier path has no stated minimum beyond covering the full loan with usable assets. Both are subject to underwriting.
Can I use my IRA or 401(k)?
Yes, with different credit by path. The qualifier path counts retirement accounts at 90% under 59½ and 100% at 59½ or older. The depletion path counts them at 70% at any age. Nothing has to be withdrawn.
Do I have to sell my investments?
No. On the depletion path the division is a calculation only. On the qualifier path the balances simply need to be seasoned and documented. Selling is a separate planning choice with its own tax effects.
Is this a no-documentation loan?
No. Every file is fully underwritten. There are no traditional personal-income documentation, pay stubs or employment verification, but statements, credit and the property are all reviewed.
Does Colorado change the program figures?
No. The leverage, haircuts and seasoning are the same. Colorado affects prices, HOA dues and property costs, which change the loan size and therefore the assets needed. Consumer lending through this program is available in Colorado among its 16 licensed states.
If you are qualifying on assets rather than income and want to see how the numbers work, Lendmire can help you compare asset-based mortgage programs based on your statements, the property, credit profile, leverage, and your goals.
Colorado prices vary widely from the Front Range to the high country, so the right asset number starts with the target home, then works back through the loan and the leftover cash.
Lendmire’s asset-based mortgage in Colorado page presents the program for Colorado borrowers.
About Lendmire
As a mortgage broker (NMLS# 2371349), Lendmire helps self-employed and high-net-worth borrowers in 16 states qualify on bank statements, a profit-and-loss statement, 1099s or liquid assets instead of tax returns, through wholesale lenders. Lendmire is never the lender; program terms are set by the lender and its guidelines. Scotsman Guide named Lendmire a Top Mortgage Workplace in both 2025 and 2026.
Investors who want the broader program framework can review how DSCR loans work.
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Informational only. Not a Loan Estimate, approval, or commitment to lend. Program availability and eligibility are subject to lender guidelines, credit approval, property review, and underwriting.
References
1. CFPB – 12 CFR 1026.43 (Ability to Repay)
2. Cornell LII – 12 CFR 1026.43
3. eCFR – 12 CFR 1026.3 Exempt transactions
This article is part of Lendmire’s asset-based mortgage program — full qualification details, guidelines, and scenarios live on the program page.
Related reading: How Much Does a Startup Founder Need in Assets to Qualify for a Mortgage? · How Much Does a California Retiree Need in Assets to Buy a Home Without Income? · Can You Relocate to Michigan and Buy a Home on Assets Before You Have Local Income?
Guides: Asset-Based Mortgage in Colorado
Brandon Miller
Founder & CEO, Mortgage Loan Originator, Lendmire LLC
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Disclosure information. Lendmire is a state-licensed mortgage brokerage under NMLS# 2371349. Lendmire is not a depository institution, direct lender, or financial advisor — all loans referenced are placed through wholesale lender partners and are subject to each lender's underwriting standards. This article is provided for general informational purposes and is not a commitment to lend, nor does it constitute financial, legal, or tax advice. Loan programs, terms, rates, and qualification standards change without notice and depend on borrower profile, property type, and the state in which the subject property is located. Equal Housing Opportunity provider. NMLS Consumer Access: nmlsconsumeraccess.org.