Current down payment assistance guidelines, updated from one source.
These figures are read from Lendmire’s centralized down payment assistance standards source and update automatically when the programs change. Every state and city guide in this series reads the same source.
Of the purchase price
Measured on the purchase price or the appraised value, whichever is lower; the largest option covers the down payment and reaches closing costs, and the smaller options cover the 3.5% FHA minimum, in whole or, on the lowest tier, in part.
Covers the FHA down payment, in whole or in part
Nothing to repay, ever: this option pays the 3.5% FHA minimum down payment in whole or, on its lower tier, in part, and leaves no lien behind, for buyers within the area income limit or in a qualifying category.
On the forgivable and repayable options
Most of the options carry no income limit, so a higher-earning household qualifies the same as anyone else; only the nothing-to-repay option looks at income, at 140% of the area median, or at a qualifying category.
Credit score to start
This is the lowest score that opens an option here — the nothing-to-repay option; the forgivable second liens start a little higher and the repayable options higher still, so a stronger score opens more choices.
| Option | Assistance | What you repay | Credit · mortgage · units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant-style assistance — nothing to repay | 2% or 3.5% of the price | Nothing — released at closing | 620+ · FHA 203(b), FHA repair escrow, FHA Limited 203(k), FHA Standard 203(k) · 1–4 units |
| Forgivable second lien — three-year | 3.5% of the price | Nothing after 36 on-time mortgage payments | 640+ · FHA 203(b), FHA Limited 203(k), HUD-184, USDA · 1–2 units |
| Forgivable second lien — five-year | 3.5% of the price | Nothing after 60 on-time mortgage payments | 640+ · FHA 203(b), FHA Limited 203(k), HUD-184, USDA · 1–2 units |
| Repayable second lien — thirty-year amortization, ten-year balloon | 3.5% or 5% of the price | Second lien, 30-year amortization, balloon in year 10 | 660+ · FHA 203(b), FHA Limited 203(k), HUD-184, USDA · 1–2 units |
| Closing-cost repayable second lien | 3.5% or 5% of the price | Second lien, 30-year amortization, balloon in year 10 | 660+ · FHA 203(b) · 1–2 units |
| Refinance-cost second lien (repayable) | 1% to 3.5% of the balance | Second lien, repaid | 660+ · FHA 203(b) · 1–4 units |
Current down payment assistance snapshot · updated September 7, 2026 · six options offered in Colorado · no option requires a first-time buyer · no option combines with another assistance program · owner-occupied primary residences only.
Down payment assistance options are consumer mortgage programs arranged through select wholesale lenders, licensed in sixteen states, paired with FHA, USDA, or HUD-184 first liens. Assistance is stated as a percentage of price or value, never as a dollar figure a specific borrower would receive; the forgivable and repayable options are second liens with their own disclosures. Eligibility depends on the first lien’s approval, the option’s rules, the property, and full underwriting, subject to lender program eligibility. The calculator’s rate is an editable market benchmark, not a quote, and its payment is an illustrative estimate; no fee or lender identity appears on this page. Lendmire is a mortgage broker and never the lender, and is not affiliated with or acting on behalf of FHA, VA, USDA, HUD, or the federal government. Lendmire, LLC — NMLS #2371349. Equal Housing Opportunity.
What down payment assistance is — and how the options differ.
The first-time home buyer programs in Commerce City, CO answer the most common reason a qualified buyer does not close — the cash to close — with assistance measured on the price and shaped to the buyer’s situation.
For the program overview, see Lendmire’s down payment assistance program, or the statewide guide at Down Payment Assistance in Colorado.
Assistance covers the FHA down payment
An FHA purchase asks for a minimum investment from the buyer; the assistance covers it, measured as a percentage of the lesser of price or value, and the largest option carries a further share for closing costs and prepaids.
Four shapes: grant, forgivable, repayable, refinance
The assistance comes as a grant where it is offered, as a forgivable second lien, or as a repayable second lien, with a refinance-cost version for an existing FHA loan; each pairs with the first lien differently, and the options table on this page shows what is offered in Colorado.
Credit floors, mortgage programs, and unit counts
A Commerce City file is placed by three things — the credit tier, the first-lien program, and the property — and the options table on this page shows the floor, the first liens, and the unit limit for every option offered in Colorado.
Eligibility without a first-time-buyer rule
Eligibility is broader than most buyers expect: repeat buyers qualify, income limits apply only to the nothing-to-repay option, and the categories that open it include first responders, educators, medical personnel, civil servants, and military.
This is the whole test: the price sets the minimum investment, the option covers it, and the larger option leaves room for closing costs. The tool below applies it to your numbers and adds the FHA payment estimate.
Where Commerce City’s first-time and moderate-income buyers shop — and how the assistance fits.
These Commerce City, CO figures describe the market, not a borrower; the first lien’s approval and the option’s rules carry the file, and the numbers here only explain the neighborhood it sits in.
Market context only. The renter share says how many households the program could serve; the median value says how far the minimum investment sits from a typical price; the two together describe where the program closes most files.
Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2024) housing and population estimates, including tenure, home values, gross rents, and household income.
Distinct Commerce City submarkets, distinct property rules.
The metropolitan market around Commerce City splits into distinct pockets; a lender underwrites the home in front of it, but the pocket sets the expectations.
New construction and infill
New construction in Commerce City works with the program; the appraisal and the builder’s timeline set the pace, and the assistance closes with the first lien like any other purchase. About 23% of Commerce City’s households rent — roughly 5,115 renter households, the pool the program exists for.
Manufactured homes on owned land
For Commerce City buyers looking at manufactured housing, the assistance is available on owned land, with single-width homes reaching only the option that accepts them. On a home at Commerce City’s median value, the FHA minimum investment comes to about $17,500 — the figure the assistance is built to cover.
Condominiums close to work
Condominiums are often the entry point in Commerce City, and the assistance follows the first lien: the building needs FHA approval, or a single-unit approval, before the down payment help can attach to it. Commerce City itself counts a population near 66K; it sits within the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO area.
Older neighborhoods and renovation loans
The older streets of Commerce City are full of homes that need work, and the assistance pairs with a renovation first lien: the assistance is figured on the purchase price, while the loan itself covers price plus repairs. The median owner-occupied home value in Commerce City runs near $499,700 on the latest Census estimate.
Small multi-unit homes, owner-occupied
A buyer who lives in one unit of a Commerce City duplex can use the program on the whole building; the nothing-to-repay option, which reaches four units, makes a house-hacking purchase reachable with the minimum investment covered. Median gross rent in Commerce City is about $1,880 a month — the payment many renters already carry.
Townhomes and attached homes
Attached homes and townhomes in Commerce City sit at price points where the minimum investment is smaller in dollars but no easier to save; the assistance closes that gap, and the association’s documents are reviewed with the file. Median household income in Commerce City sits near $111,972 on the latest Census estimate.
Market context only. The option for a Commerce City file comes from the credit tier, the first lien, the property, and the eligibility category, never from the submarket.
Four ways Commerce City buyers put down payment assistance to work.
Down payment assistance in Commerce City, CO is used for more than a first purchase; these are the structures Commerce City buyers ask about most.
Buy a small multi-unit home and live in one unit
An owner-occupied building of up to four units in Commerce City qualifies on the nothing-to-repay option, which reaches four units, and the buyer lives in one unit while the assistance covers the minimum investment on the whole building.
Cover the costs of an FHA refinance
A Commerce City homeowner refinancing an existing FHA loan can use the refinance-cost option, a repayable second lien sized on the balance, to cover closing costs and keep the first lien inside FHA limits.
Buy a home that needs work with a renovation mortgage
A Commerce City buyer taking on a fixer pairs a limited renovation first lien or, on the nothing-to-repay option, a standard one with the assistance; the help is figured on the purchase price, and the loan covers price plus repairs.
Cover closing costs too on the larger option
When the minimum investment is covered but closing costs and prepaids remain the hurdle, the repayable option in Commerce City, CO reaches both; the balance above the minimum investment goes toward the closing.
Size the assistance on a Commerce City price before requesting a quote.
This tool applies the program to a Commerce City scenario: the price sets the minimum investment, the option and your cash set the down payment, and the FHA loan, mortgage insurance, and payment follow at the benchmark rate shown. Every field is editable; the rate is a market reference, not a quote.
Commerce City FHA payment with assistance
Illustrative Commerce City inputs; the calculator recalculates on every change.
Editable benchmark: 7.28% as of October 1, 2026 · Freddie Mac 30-year average via FRED®. A conventional market reference, not an FHA loan quote.
Illustrative starting assumptions: a $500,000 price near Commerce City’s median owner-occupied home value, the strongest assistance option offered in Colorado applied against the FHA minimum investment, a thirty-year term at the current Freddie Mac benchmark, property taxes and insurance estimated for Colorado (U.S. Census Bureau). Every field is editable.
Illustrative estimate only — not a Loan Estimate, approval, quote, or commitment to lend. The rate field carries the weekly Freddie Mac thirty-year conventional benchmark, a market reference and not an FHA loan quote; your rate is set by the lender at lock. FHA mortgage insurance follows HUD’s published schedule for the term, leverage and loan size entered; taxes, insurance and dues are editable estimates; closing costs are not included; a repayable second lien adds its own payment, which is not shown here. Consumer mortgage lending licensed in sixteen states. Lendmire is not affiliated with or acting on behalf of FHA, USDA, HUD, or the federal government.
Same buyer, three very different closings.
A Commerce City, CO buyer can reach the closing table several ways; the difference is where the minimum investment comes from and what it costs to carry afterward.
Assistance on an FHA loan, your own down payment, or assistance on a USDA or HUD-184 loan.
Assistance that closes with the first lien: it covers the minimum investment; its shape is chosen by the credit tier and the first lien, with the eligibility category where the nothing-to-repay option is in play, and the second-lien options stay open to repeat buyers with no income limit.
The buyer brings the minimum investment from savings, a retirement withdrawal, or seasoned funds; no second lien, no eligibility category, no homebuyer education requirement, and no assistance to carry. For the first lien itself, see Lendmire’s FHA loan program.
USDA and HUD-184 first liens pair with the forgivable options and the ten-year repayable option on a Commerce City, CO file; the separate closing-cost option is FHA only. For the USDA first lien, see the USDA loan program.
Assistance fits the buyer short of cash to close; the plain purchase fits the buyer with savings; the USDA and HUD-184 pairing fits eligible properties and borrowers — Lendmire places the Commerce City, CO file where it reads best.
What to prepare for a Commerce City scenario review.
The documents a lender reads first on an assistance file.
This is a general preparation guide, not a universal checklist. The selected lender may request additional information based on the mortgage, the assistance option, the property, and the eligibility category. Nothing here is legal or tax advice.
Local details that can change the loan.
Beyond the credit tier and the first lien, a handful of details decide which option a Commerce City buyer can use — or whether the assistance attaches at all.
Use these checks to keep the Commerce City file clean and fundable.
The checks below keep a Commerce City assistance file on track, and each one comes from the option’s own terms rather than from a lender’s preference.
- Know the option: read the second lien as the loan it is.
- Confirm the category: remember that the second-lien options need no category and carry no income limit.
- Confirm the property: check condominium approval and manufactured-home width.
The option decides what you owe afterward
The same minimum investment can be covered three ways on a purchase in Commerce City, CO, and the difference is entirely in what happens after closing: nothing, nothing if the first lien stays current, or a second loan that comes due; the options table shows what is offered.
The eligibility category for the nothing-to-repay option
The category is checked at application on the nothing-to-repay option, together with the signed assistance application and the education certificate; no option requires a first-time buyer, and the second-lien options carry no income limit.
Property type and unit count select the option
The property itself can move a Commerce City, CO file: a fourplex, a single-width manufactured home, or an unapproved condominium project each changes which option can attach, so the address is read before the option is promised.
No stacking with other assistance
No option may be combined with another down payment assistance program in Commerce City, CO, and the nothing-to-repay and forgivable options do not combine with a high-balance first lien; one assistance option, one first lien, one closing.
Escrow holdbacks for minor repairs
A Commerce City home with a small repair list does not have to wait for the work before closing; the escrow holdback carries it, within the program’s cap and timeline, with an inspection when the work is done.
From a Commerce City pre-approval to keys with the assistance in place.
Lendmire runs a Commerce City assistance file in a set order: pick the option, match the first lien, clear the property, close with the assistance in place.
Pick the option
Every Commerce City file starts with the option and the first lien; the category, the homebuyer education course and the property rules are then settled around them, in that order.
Get the mortgage approved
The first lien’s approval carries the file; the assistance is arranged alongside it, with the eligibility category and the education certificate in hand where they apply.
Clear the property
Property review runs in parallel with the first lien; the Commerce City home is checked against the option’s rules and the first lien’s, from the unit count to the association package.
Close both loans together
Final underwriting reads the whole Commerce City, CO file against the first lien’s rules and the option’s; the loan funds with the assistance in place and the second lien, where there is one, recorded behind it.
A brokerage that pairs the assistance to the loan.
Lendmire built its consumer practice around the buyers these programs exist for, which is why the options, the categories, and the property rules are familiar ground rather than surprises.
The option, matched to the buyer
A Commerce City scenario is placed on the right option first — the credit tier, the first lien, and the category — and the rest of the file is then built to fit it, before anything is ordered.
The mortgage, matched to the property
A Commerce City file is matched to the first-lien program that carries the property — FHA everywhere, USDA or HUD-184 where they fit — and the assistance option follows that choice.
The right wholesale program
A Commerce City file is matched to the wholesale program whose option fits the buyer, and Lendmire manages the first lien and the assistance together through closing.
Trusted by first-time buyers & families alike.
Commerce City down payment assistance FAQs
Straight answers for Commerce City buyers weighing down payment assistance; the mortgage approval and the option’s rules decide every actual figure.
Do I have to be a first-time homebuyer?
No option requires it. A Commerce City buyer who has owned before qualifies for the second-lien options on credit, mortgage, and property alone, and for the nothing-to-repay option through any of the other categories.
Is there an income limit?
Only on the nothing-to-repay option, and only when no other category applies: household income at or below the area-median-income ceiling in the snapshot, measured where the property sits. The forgivable and repayable second-lien options carry no income limit beyond the mortgage’s own rules.
What first-time home buyer programs are available in Commerce City?
Assistance measured as a percentage of the price, in shapes that differ by what you owe afterward: nothing, nothing if the mortgage stays current, or a second loan with a balloon. Credit, the mortgage, the property, and the eligibility category decide which fits.
Do I have to pay the assistance back?
It depends on the shape you choose. Grant-style help is released at closing and never repaid; a forgivable second lien is forgiven after the on-time period; a repayable second lien is a real second loan with a balloon. A Commerce City buyer chooses by what they want to carry after closing.
What credit score do I need?
Each option has its own floor, starting in the low six hundreds on the nothing-to-repay option and stepping up on the forgivable and repayable second liens; every borrower needs a score, and two-borrower files may qualify on a blended score on the second-lien options. The snapshot shows the floors in force.
Can I combine this with another assistance program?
No. One assistance program per Commerce City, CO file. The nothing-to-repay and forgivable options also do not combine with a high-balance first lien, and the nothing-to-repay option not with certain FHA specialty programs.
What if my mortgage is above the county loan limit?
A high-balance first lien narrows the choice to the repayable options in Commerce City, CO.
Can I use the assistance on a second home or a rental?
The assistance is for the home you live in; rentals and second homes are financed other ways.
How does a forgivable second lien work — the small second loan behind the mortgage?
It is a lien that costs nothing to carry and disappears on schedule; the clock runs with the first lien’s payments.
Which mortgages can the assistance be used with?
Government first liens only: FHA for every option, USDA and HUD-184 for the forgivable and repayable second liens (the closing-cost repayable option, the one that also reaches prepaid items, is FHA only).
Ready to size the assistance on a Commerce City home? Start with the price.
A first read of a Commerce City assistance scenario takes a few minutes and commits you to nothing; the option, the category, and the property rules are explained before anything is ordered.
This guide covers Commerce City — for the statewide options, categories, and property rules, see Down Payment Assistance in Colorado, part of Lendmire’s down payment assistance program.
Nearby markets in Colorado: Thornton · Denver · Aurora · Westminster · Broomfield · Arvada · Centennial · Lakewood
Related programs: FHA Loans · USDA Loans · FHA 203(k) Rehab Loans