The Colorado Homebuyer Strategic Playbook (Denver & Front Range Edition)

The 2026 Colorado Tax Reality: The $55,000 Cliff

If you are a Colorado homeowner, you might have noticed your 2026 tax bill is higher, even if your home value stayed flat.

• What Happened: The temporary $55,000 valuation reduction from Senate Bill 233 expired.
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• The Impact: Homes are now taxed on their full actual value again. For a $500,000 home in Denver, this means a tax increase of roughly 13% (about $320 extra per year) compared to last year.
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• The Silver Lining: There is a new "Portable" Senior Exemption for 2026. If you are 65+ and move to a new primary residence, you can now "carry" your 50% exemption on the first $200,000 of value to your new home. This is a massive win for downsizers.

2026 Conforming Loan Limits (Front Range)

Knowing the "line" between a standard loan and a Jumbo loan is key to your down payment strategy.

• Baseline (Most Counties): $832,750
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• Denver / Aurora / Boulder: $862,500
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• High-Cost (Eagle/Summit): Up to $1,249,125
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• The Strategy: If you are looking at a $900,000 home in Denver, a 5% down payment keeps you in a Jumbo loan. But if you can stretch to a slightly higher down payment to get the loan under $862,500, you unlock Conforming rates and terms, which are often more flexible.