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Two Denver Suburbs Rank Among Top Places to Buy First Home

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Buying a house in Colorado isn't so bad, after all, according to a new nationwide ranking that lists two metro Denver towns among the best places to buy your first home.

Earlier this month, personal finance company WalletHub ranked the 300 best cities in the United States for first-time home-buyers. The study considered home prices, cost of living, home inventory and turnover, local mortgage lenders, crime rates and the quality of schools, among other metrics, to rank the top 300. Each city was then ranked in four categories: overall score, affordability, local real estate market and quality of life.

Very few cities in the overall top 25 were ranked in the top 100 for affordability, but many ranked very high in quality of life and real estate market. Palm Bay, Florida, came in at number one, despite being ranked 118th in affordability. However, the small coastal town placed second and third in the real estate market and quality of life, respectively, which helped push Palm Bay's overall score to 67.24

Colorado Springs, Longmont, and Centennial all made the top fifty thanks to decent real estate market rankings, while Denver came in at 148, ranking 263 out of 300 in quality of life and 155th in affordability, with its only saving grace being a 24th-best local real estate market.

Aurora, Fort Collins, Greeley and Westminster all landed on the top half list, as well, but only two places in Colorado cracked the top 25: Arvada and Thornton.

Thornton: Relatively Affordable Place to Settle

With a population of more than 140,000 people, Thornton is the sixth-most populated Colorado city and one of the larger Denver-area jurisdictions, stretching north of Interstate 70. Thornton is surrounded by cities like Northglenn, Commerce City, Westminster and Brighton, and sits in both Adams and Weld counties. It's mostly residential and has the large Thorncreek Golf Course and Denver Premium Outlets strip mall to complement more than 1,200 acres of parks and open space, according to the Colorado Tourism Office.

According to WalletHub, Thornton stands out as a good place to buy a first home because of its affordability and quality of life. That was good enough for sixteenth overall for first-time home buying, and a total score of 60.55

Thornton ranked 23rd on the list for quality life, the highest-ranked Colorado city in that category. According to WalletHub, the quality of life ranking is based on weather, school systems, driver-friendliness, job market, home energy costs and the rate of property crimes and violent crimes.

However, Thornton ranked 117th in affordability, which is based largely on the median home price but also the cost of living, real estate taxes, the cost of homeowner's insurance and the average cost per square foot of a home.

No city from the Denver area ranked in the top 100 for affordability, but Pueblo ranked 77th in the category. Colorado Springs ranked 104th while Centennial ranked 108th, making them the only Colorado cities to beat Thornton in affordability.

Arvada: Solid Real Estate Between Mountains and the City

Just northwest of Denver in Jefferson County is Arvada, Colorado's seventh-most populated city with more than 120,000 residents, immediately north of Interstate 70. Like Thornton, Arvada is part of the same cluster of jurisdictions in the northern metro, but it's further east, neighboring Wheat Ridge, Westminster and the Denver Highlands. The city is known for Olde Town Arvada, a lively downtown center with a blend of historic and modern style, and it stretches into the mountains, towards pristine open space areas like Coal Creek Canyon.

WalletHub ranked Arvada 23rd overall with a score of 59.62. The city's real estate market ranked 29th, which is based on factors like the price of homes compared to the average rent, the median number of days homes are on the market and the number of active home listings per capita.

Although Arvada's real estate market ranked higher than Thornton's, it ranked lower than three Colorado cities in the category: Aurora (twenty), Denver (24) and Longmont (27). But Arvada had better-rated life and affordability rankings. (Denver and Aurora had miserable rankings in those other categories.)

Arvada came in at 128th in affordability, eleven places back from Thornton. That also put Arvada two places back from its neighbor, Westminster, which ranked 126th in affordability.

Arvada ranked fifth among Colorado cities for quality of life, behind30 Thornton, Fort Collins, Boulder, and Longmont.

Read more at Westword

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What Credit Score Do You Really Need To Buy a Home?

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According to Fannie Mae, 90% of buyers don’t actually know what credit score lenders are looking for, or they overestimate the minimum needed.

Let that sink in. That means most homebuyers think they need better credit than they actually do – and maybe you’re one of them. And that could make you think buying a home is out of reach for you right now, even if that’s not necessarily true. So, let’s look at what the data really says about credit scores and homebuying.

There’s No One Magic Number

There’s no universal credit score you absolutely have to have when buying a home. And that means there’s more flexibility than most people realize. Check out this graph showing the median credit scores recent buyers had among different home loan types:

Here’s what’s important to realize. The numbers vary, and there’s no one-size-fits-all threshold. And that could open doors you thought were closed for you. The best way to learn more is to talk to a trusted lender. As FICO explains:

“While many lenders use credit scores like FICO Scores to help them make lending decisions, each lender has its own strategy, including the level of risk it finds acceptable. There is no single ‘cutoff score’ used by all lenders, and there are many additional factors that lenders may use . . .”

Why Your Score Still Matters

When you buy a home, lenders use your credit score to get a sense of how reliable you are with money. They want to see if you typically make payments on time, pay back debts, and more.

Your score can impact which loan types you may qualify for, the terms on those loans, and even your mortgage rate. And since mortgage rates are a big factor in how much house you’ll be able to afford, that may make your score feel even more important today. As Bankrate says:

“Your credit score is one of the most important factors lenders consider when you apply for a mortgage. Not just to qualify for the loan itself, but for the conditions: Typically, the higher your score, the lower the interest rates and better terms you’ll qualify for.”

That still doesn’t mean your credit has to be perfect. Even if your credit score isn’t as high as you’d like, you may still be able to get a home loan.

Want To Boost Your Score? Start Here

And if you talk to a lender and decide you want to improve your score (and hopefully your loan type and terms too), here are a few smart moves according to the Federal Reserve Board:

Pay Your Bills on Time: This is a big one. Lenders want to see you can reliably pay your bills on time. This includes everything from credit cards to utilities and cell phone bills. Consistent, on-time payments show you’re a responsible borrower.

Pay Down Your Debt: When it comes to your available credit amount, the less you’re using, the better. Focus on keeping this number as low as possible. That makes you a lower-risk borrower in the eyes of lenders – making them more likely to approve a loan with better terms.

Review Your Credit Report: Get copies of your credit report and work to correct any errors you find. This can help improve your score.

Don’t Open New Accounts: While it might be tempting to open more credit cards to build your score, it’s best to hold off. Too many new credit applications can lead to hard inquiries on your report, which can temporarily lower your score.

Bottom Line

Your credit score doesn’t have to be perfect to qualify for a home loan. But a better score can help you get better terms on your home loan. The best way to know where you stand and your options for a mortgage is to connect with a trusted lender.​

Read more at Keeping Current Matters

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Mortgage rates remain in a holding pattern. How much longer will this last?

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Mortgage rates have stayed remarkably consistent for much of 2025. With the calendar set to flip to August this week, there’s little to suggest that trend will change.

On Tuesday, HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center showed that rates for 30-year conforming loans averaged 6.91%, down 1 basis point from a week ago. Rates for 30-year loans through the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) were unchanged at 6.6%, while rates for 30-year jumbo loans were down 5 bps to 6.53%.

Rates have shown less volatility since April, coinciding with President Donald Trump’s global tariff policies. The 30-year conforming rate has barely deviated from a narrow band between 6.8% and 7% since mid-April, according to HousingWire’s data.

The market has also had stability due to a consistent policy stance by the Federal Reserve, which has held benchmark rates at a range of 4.25% to 4.5% since December 2024. That’s not expected to change Wednesday when Fed officials conclude their two-day meeting in Washington, D.C.

“Policymakers are closely monitoring the delayed inflationary impact of new tariffs, which could complicate the path to easing,” said Sam Williamson, senior economist for First American. “While some Fed officials have hinted at a dovish pivot, most favor waiting for clearer data. Markets are eyeing a potential cut in September at the next FOMC meeting, so long as inflation doesn’t trend meaningfully higher over the rest of the summer.”

The CME Group’s FedWatch tool supports these comments. On Tuesday, 97% of interest rate traders predicted no change in the federal funds rate this week. But nearly two-thirds say a cut is coming in September.

“Chairman (Jerome) Powell’s press conference remarks will be closely scrutinized, as investors seek signals on the timing and trajectory for the next rate cut,” Williamson added. “For now, the Fed appears committed to holding the line — balancing inflation risks with the need to support a slowing, but still-strong economy.”

Impacts on housing

Going into 2025, multiple rate cuts were penciled in by Fed officials, but they’ve yet to materialize. That has kept housing market activity relatively subdued, although buyer and seller activity is generally higher than a year ago by many measures.

Many primary and secondary markets across the country are shifting from longtime sellers’ markets to more buyer-friendly ones. This trend is visible through the slowing of home-price appreciation. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Index for May showed 2.3% annualized growth, down from 2.7% in April and the slowest pace of growth in two years.

“It is no longer a seller’s market in many places, but that doesn’t mean it is a buyer’s market or even a balanced market,” Bright MLS chief economist Lisa Sturtevant noted. “The housing market is stuck, with both prospective buyers and sellers increasingly concerned about the economy and their own personal financial situations.

“Home sales activity is likely to remain slow in the second half of the year and overall sales could end the year at or below last year’s historically low levels.”

This week’s Housing Market Tracker from HousingWire Lead Analyst Logan Mohtashami shows that inventory growth has leveled off from its recent peaks, although the supply of homes for sale remains 27% higher on a year-over-year basis.

The share of listings with a price cut is also on the rise and reached 41.6% last week. That’s up 2.6 percentage points from the same week in 2024 and is nearing the recent peak rate of 43.2% in late 2022.

Sellers typically turn into new buyers, and the higher level of supply is also showing up in demand for purchase mortgages. Data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) shows that purchase application activity has posted 25 straight weeks of annualized growth — including 12 straight weeks of double-digit growth.

Williamson said that even as affordability remains a constraint for prospective buyers, they are often highly sensitive to interest rate changes. And rates could begin to decline without Federal Reserve action.

“Softening mortgage rates and their corresponding effects on the housing market often begin before the Fed takes formal action — if markets are confident in the Fed’s direction,” he said. “In mid-2024, mortgage rates fell ahead of the Fed’s 50-basis-point cut in September, as markets grew more confident that easing was imminent.

“A similar dynamic could emerge in the coming months, provided inflation continues to trend favorably. While we still expect the Fed to cut rates before year-end, buyers could see rate relief and improved affordability even earlier, as markets begin to price in that shift.”

Read more at Housingwire

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Just Listed: Urban Living with a View of Coors Field

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Welcome to urban living at its finest in the heart of McGregor Square!

This stylish studio condo offers a smart and efficient layout, complete with a built-in Murphy bed, private balcony, and a peek-a-boo view of Coors Field. Located on the third floor, you'll enjoy easy access to the dog run. Just an elevator ride away from the building's top-tier amenities, including a rooftop pool, state-of-the-art fitness center overlooking McGregor Square, sauna, and a private bar. The square is equipped with 24/7 security for peace of mind. Live just steps from premier dining, shopping, and entertainment, with all of downtown Denver at your fingertips. Perfect as a pied-à-terre, rental investment, or full-time residence!

Listed by Shaye Kenny for West + Main Homes. Please contact Shaye for current pricing + availability.

 
 
 

Have questions?
West + Main Homes
720-314-8341⁩‬
hello@westandmain.com

Presented by:
Shaye Kenny
650-477-0845
shaye.kenny@westandmain.com


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Just Listed: Your Wellington Retreat Awaits

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Welcome to 3835 River Birch St—a peaceful retreat nestled in the heart of Wellington's desirable Harvest Village community.

If you’ve been dreaming of more space, quieter streets, and star-filled skies, this home is your perfect escape from city life. This beautiful 3-bedroom, 2-bath ranch-style home offers a smart, open layout with modern touches throughout. Enjoy vaulted ceilings, a bright and airy great room, and a chef-friendly kitchen complete with stainless steel appliances, granite counters, double oven  and a generous island—perfect for both casual meals and entertaining. The primary suite is a true sanctuary with a walk-in closet and private bath. Step outside to a spacious, fully fenced backyard—ideal for weekend BBQs, evening sunsets, or simply relaxing in your own quiet corner of Northern Colorado. With an attached 2-car garage, there’s plenty of room for toys, tools, and gear for your next adventure. Located just minutes from Fort Collins but worlds away from the noise, this home gives you the best of both worlds: peaceful suburban living with quick access to city conveniences. Whether you’re working remotely, starting a family, or just craving more room to breathe, 3835 River Birch is ready to welcome you home. Low HOA, close to parks, schools, and trails—don’t miss this rare opportunity to own your own slice of Colorado calm.

Listed by Tenae Irey for West + Main Homes. Please contact Tenae for current pricing + availability.

 
 
 

Have questions?
West + Main Homes
720-314-8341⁩‬
hello@westandmain.com

Presented by:
Tenae Irey
720-329-8071
tenae.irey@westandmainhomes.com


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