Down Payment Assistance in Arapahoe County, Colorado

Buying a Home in Littleton, Aurora, Centennial, Englewood, Greenwood Village, or Sheridan?

Arapahoe County is a major part of the Denver metro housing market.

Some buyers are looking in Littleton because they want an established suburb with access to Denver and the south metro area. Others are looking in Aurora because it offers a wide range of housing options across a large city. Centennial, Englewood, Sheridan, Greenwood Village, Cherry Hills Village, and nearby communities can all appeal to buyers for different reasons.

The challenge is clear: buying in Arapahoe County can still be expensive, and the upfront costs can stop buyers before you properly explore their options.

At Colorado Down Payment Assistance Center, we help Colorado buyers understand what they may qualify for, compare available programs, and move forward with a clearer plan.

Depending on your income, credit, loan type, and property, you may be able to secure $3,600 to $25,000 in down payment assistance.

Why Arapahoe County Buyers Should Check Options Early

Arapahoe County buyers often need to confirm more than the city name.

A Littleton address may be in Arapahoe, Jefferson, or Douglas County. An Aurora address may be in Arapahoe, Adams, or Douglas County. Even when the city looks right, the exact property location can affect which program makes sense.

Current county price snapshot:

Median home price: Redfin reports that Arapahoe County homes sold for a median price of $525,000 in March 2026, up 2.2% year over year. Homes sold after a median of 21 days on market.

That is why it is worth checking your options before assuming you need to spend years saving up.

Want to know what you may qualify for? Submit the form or call/text us at 303.459.4220.

What Programs May Help Arapahoe County Buyers?

Arapahoe County buyers may be able to compare several types of assistance.

Some programs are statewide. Some are tied to the Denver metro area. Others are connected to a city, lender, nonprofit, income limit, or current funding.

The best fit depends on the buyer, the home, and the loan.

CHFA Down Payment Assistance

CHFA can be useful for Arapahoe County buyers who need help reducing the amount required at closing.

There are two main CHFA assistance paths.

The first is the grant option. This may provide up to 3% of the first mortgage, with the assistance limited to $25,000. CHFA says this grant does not require repayment.

The second is the second mortgage option. This may provide up to 4% of the first mortgage, again capped at $25,000. Unlike the grant, this is money that is deferred until a later trigger, such as sale, refinance, payoff of the first mortgage, or the home no longer being used as the buyer’s primary residence.

For buyers in Littleton, Aurora, Centennial, Englewood, Sheridan, or nearby areas, CHFA is worth comparing against local and metro-area options. The goal is not just to lower upfront cash. It is to choose the option that works with the whole mortgage.

MetroDPA for Arapahoe County Buyers

MetroDPA is one of the most relevant options for many Arapahoe County buyers because the county sits inside the Denver metro and Front Range housing market.

Denver describes MetroDPA as a program that helps buyers throughout the Front Range with a home loan and down payment assistance. It says buyers may qualify with income up to $215,000 and a credit score above 640, or sometimes 620, depending on the situation.

The MetroDPA program offers 30-year fixed-rate mortgage loans and borrower assistance for down payment, closing costs, and prepaid expenses. It also says there is no minimum borrower investment, so some buyers may be able to purchase with no money down, subject to program restrictions.

This can be especially relevant for buyers looking in Littleton, Centennial, Englewood, Sheridan, Aurora, and nearby communities.

Littleton Down Payment Assistance

Littleton deserves a specific mention because city-based searches are common, and Littleton crosses county lines.

MetroDPA is a zero-interest, forgivable second mortgage that can help with down payment and closing costs of up to 5% of the loan.

For a Littleton buyer, the first step is to confirm the exact county of the property. A Littleton address can fall in Arapahoe, Jefferson, or Douglas County.

Once the property location is clear, buyers can compare MetroDPA, CHFA, and other available options.

Aurora Down Payment Assistance

The City of Aurora has a down payment assistance program that may provide up to 10% of the purchase price for qualifying buyers. The home must be located within the City of Aurora, and eligible households may earn no more than 120% of Area Median Income.

Aurora’s program is especially relevant because the city crosses county lines and has a large range of home prices, neighborhoods, and buyer situations.

You should confirm:

Whether the property is inside Aurora city limits.
Whether current funding is still available within the program.
Whether income, lender, and property rules are met.

Aurora buyers should also compare the city’s program with MetroDPA, CHFA, and any lender-based options.

Impact Development Fund and FirstBank DPA

Some Arapahoe County buyers may also come across the FirstBank Down Payment Assistance Program through Impact Development Fund.

This should always be checked against current funding before a buyer relies on it.

Impact Development Fund lists the Arapahoe County FirstBank DPA option for qualifying first-time buyers using FirstBank for the primary mortgage. Assistance may be available up to 20% of the contract purchase price or $30,000, whichever is less, for buyers at or below 80% of Area Median Income.

Before relying on this type of program, confirm:

Whether funds are currently available in the program.
Whether the income and property rules fit.
How the assistance changes your rate, payment, or future options.

Arapahoe County HOME Funds

Arapahoe County also has a broader affordable housing funding angle.

The county discusses HOME Investment Partnership Funds, which may be used for eligible housing activities, including helping with down payments and closing costs for first-time home buyers.

This does not mean every buyer can access county funds directly at any time.

It does show that homebuyer assistance is part of the wider housing picture in Arapahoe County, so buyers should review more than one possible path.

Arapahoe County Has a Location Problem Buyers Should Understand

Arapahoe County is tricky because many buyers search by city, but eligibility may come down to the exact address.

Littleton can involve Arapahoe, Jefferson, or Douglas County.

Aurora can involve Arapahoe, Adams, or Douglas County.

Centennial and Englewood often attract buyers who want south metro convenience, but the monthly payment and property type still need to work.

Greenwood Village and Cherry Hills Village can be higher-cost areas, so affordability is about more than reducing cash to close.

This is why the right question is not simply, “Is there down payment assistance?”

The better question is, “Which program fits this buyer, this property, this city, and this payment?”

Buying in Specific Arapahoe County Communities

Littleton

Littleton is one of the strongest Arapahoe County targets for buyers who want established neighborhoods, parks, commuting routes, and access to the south Denver metro area.

What to check: whether the property is in Arapahoe, Jefferson, or Douglas County, whether MetroDPA or CHFA applies, and whether the payment still works after taxes, insurance, and closing costs.

Aurora

Aurora can be a strong fit for buyers who want more housing options, access to job centers, and a wider range of price points than some nearby suburbs.

What to check: whether the home is inside Aurora city limits, whether Aurora’s local assistance program is available, and whether MetroDPA, CHFA, or another option is a better fit.

Centennial

Centennial appeals to many buyers because of its location, neighborhoods, schools, and access to the Denver Tech Center and south metro employers.

What to check: home price, monthly payment, whether assistance is available, and whether the home fits the loan guidelines.

Englewood and Sheridan

Englewood and Sheridan can appeal to buyers who want to stay close to Denver, Littleton, transit, and major roads without necessarily buying in the most expensive parts of the metro area.

What to check: property condition, loan fit, program eligibility, closing costs, and whether assistance meaningfully reduces the upfront burden.

How Much Do You Actually Need Saved?

Arapahoe County buyers should separate “money needed to buy” into a few different buckets.

One bucket is the buyer contribution required by the loan program. In some cases, that may be around $1,000.

Another is the home inspection. A common planning estimate is about $500, though the actual cost can vary by property.

Closing costs are separate from both. A rough planning figure is around 2% of the purchase price, but the final number depends on lender fees, title charges, taxes, insurance, prepaid items, and the home itself.

Seller concessions will reduce the cash needed from the buyer. Assistance programs may also be allowed to cover certain eligible upfront costs.

The exact number will not be the same for every buyer in Littleton, Aurora, Centennial, or Englewood. The point is to calculate the real cash-to-close figure before assuming you are too far away from buying.

Is Arapahoe County Down Payment Assistance “Free Money”?

Some programs reduce your upfront cost without creating a normal monthly payment. That does not always mean the money is simply free.

A grant may not have to be repaid if the buyer follows the program rules.

A second mortgage may help at closing, but it can still be attached to the home and become due later.

A deferred loan may sit quietly for years, then require repayment when the home is sold, refinanced, transferred, or no longer used as a primary residence.

A forgivable loan may be reduced over time, but only if the buyer satisfies the conditions to allow for the forgiveness.

Before choosing an Arapahoe County assistance option, make sure you know:

Whether the funds are a grant or a loan.
Whether repayment is required.
What triggers repayment?
Whether there are monthly payments.
Whether the program changes your interest rate or future refinance options.

Common Questions

Can I get down payment assistance in Littleton?
Possibly. Littleton buyers should compare MetroDPA, CHFA, and other options. The exact property location matters because Littleton can fall into more than one county.

Can I get down payment assistance in Aurora?
Possibly. Aurora should review Aurora’s local program, MetroDPA, CHFA, and other options. The home must meet the rules of whichever program is being used.

Does Arapahoe County have first-time home buyer help?
Yes. Arapahoe County discusses HOME funds that may support down payment and closing cost help for first-time buyers. Buyers may also compare CHFA, MetroDPA, Aurora’s local program, Impact Development Fund options, and lender-based programs.

Do I need to be a first-time buyer?
It depends on the program. Some options require first-time buyer status. Others may allow repeat buyers. The program rules change with the different programs.

Can assistance cover closing costs?
In many cases, yes. MetroDPA may be used for down payment, closing costs, and prepaid expenses, subject to restrictions.

Communities We Serve in Arapahoe County

Whether you know exactly where you want to live or are still comparing areas, we help buyers review options across Arapahoe County.

Major hubs: Aurora, Littleton, Centennial, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Sheridan
South metro communities: Cherry Hills Village, Columbine Valley, Bow Mar, Foxfield
Eastern Arapahoe County: Bennett, Byers, Deer Trail, Strasburg, Watkins

Check Your Arapahoe County Down Payment Options

If you are thinking about buying a home in Littleton, Aurora, Centennial, Englewood, Greenwood Village, Sheridan, Cherry Hills Village, or anywhere in Arapahoe County, you may have more options than you realize.

You do not need to figure it all out alone.

We can help you understand what assistance you qualify for, how much you realistically need to have saved, and exactly what steps to take next.

Ready to see what is possible? Submit the form or call/text 303.459.4220 to get started.