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Colorado program

CHFA SmartStep and CHFA SmartStep Plus

Colorado route through Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA). This page stays free for the core public facts. Open paid access only when you need the full state board, related paths, and the decision layer around this program.

Government-loan first mortgage with optional grant or 0% silent second Multiple repayment paths 2026-04-23
Agency Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA)
Support type Government-loan first mortgage with optional grant or 0% silent second
Amount highlight Current CHFA materials describe SmartStep as a 30-year fixed purchase-mortgage family with either a grant up to the lesser of $25,000 or 3% of the first mortgage, or a SmartStep Plus second mortgage up to the lesser of $25,000 or 4% of the first mortgage.
Last verified 2026-04-23

Use carefully

Keep SmartStep distinct from tax-exempt FirstStep and fixed-second FirstGeneration

This page stays public because the official structure is still useful, but these details should not be flattened into fake certainty.

SmartStep is live and detail-safe, but public copy should keep three boundaries clear: it is not tax-exempt FirstStep, it is not FirstGeneration, and it can use either a grant or a second mortgage depending on the file.

Decision-ready public facts

What stays free on this program page

Quick answer from published facts. Use this first, then jump to Go to Colorado program hub if you need the wider state context.

Amount

Current CHFA materials describe SmartStep as a 30-year fixed purchase-mortgage family with either a grant up to the lesser of $25,000 or 3% of the first mortgage, or a SmartStep Plus second mortgage up to the lesser of $25,000 or 4% of the first mortgage.

Type

Government-loan first mortgage with optional grant or 0% silent second

Repayment

Standard first-mortgage repayment applies to the base SmartStep loan. The grant requires no repayment. If SmartStep Plus is used instead, the optional second mortgage is a 0% silent second with no monthly payments and no accrued interest, due in full upon sale, refinance, or when the property is no longer the borrower's primary residence.

First-time buyer

Not required

Program guide

What to know before you click through

This is still the free fact layer. Open the official source when a detail affects eligibility, repayment, lender choice, or whether this path should stay on your shortlist.

Who qualifies?

Colorado homebuyers using a CHFA participating lender, First-time and repeat buyers using FHA, FHA 203(k), VA, or USDA-RD purchase financing, Borrowers completing CHFA-approved homebuyer education before closing, Owner-occupant buyers meeting current statewide income and underwriting rules

What support do you get?

Current CHFA materials describe SmartStep as a 30-year fixed purchase-mortgage family with either a grant up to the lesser of $25,000 or 3% of the first mortgage, or a SmartStep Plus second mortgage up to the lesser of $25,000 or 4% of the first mortgage.

Do you repay it?

Standard first-mortgage repayment applies to the base SmartStep loan. The grant requires no repayment. If SmartStep Plus is used instead, the optional second mortgage is a 0% silent second with no monthly payments and no accrued interest, due in full upon sale, refinance, or when the property is no longer the borrower's primary residence.

How do you apply?

Work with a CHFA participating lender, complete CHFA-approved homebuyer education before closing, confirm the current statewide SmartStep income and loan-size rules, and let the lender reserve the loan through CHFA. If Plus assistance is needed, the second mortgage is submitted together with the first mortgage rather than through the separate tax-exempt compliance-review path used by FirstStep and FirstGeneration.

Application timing

CHFA uses its HomeConnection lock process with a 60-day delivery period and up to six 10-day extensions for SmartStep reservations.

Official source evidence

Current CHFA materials show SmartStep and SmartStep Plus remain a live statewide government-loan purchase family with either a grant or a 0% silent-second option, statewide income rules, and lender-delivered intake.

View official source

Last verified

2026-04-23

CHFA SmartStep and SmartStep Plus matrix effective 2026-01-05; supporting CHFA pages verified 2026-04-23

Paid preview

What paid access adds for CHFA SmartStep and CHFA SmartStep Plus

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Comparison preview

CHFA SmartStep and CHFA SmartStep Plus

Amount: Current CHFA materials describe SmartStep as a 30-year fixed purchase-mortgage family with either a grant up to the lesser of $25,000 or 3% of the first mortgage, or a SmartStep Plus second mortgage up to the lesser of $25,000 or 4% of the first mortgage.

Repayment: Standard first-mortgage repayment applies to the base SmartStep loan. The grant requires no repayment. If SmartStep Plus is used instead, the optional second mortgage is a 0% silent second with no monthly payments and no accrued interest, due in full upon sale, refinance, or when the property is no longer the borrower's primary residence.

First-time buyer: Not required

Risk checks preview

What gets flagged before you call a lender

  • CHFA SmartStep and CHFA SmartStep Plus requires a participating lender.
  • CHFA SmartStep and CHFA SmartStep Plus can trigger repayment on sale or refinance.

Lender questions preview

Questions tied to this exact path

  • Is your team approved to originate CHFA SmartStep and CHFA SmartStep Plus for this household and loan setup?
  • Which events trigger repayment for CHFA SmartStep and CHFA SmartStep Plus: sale, refinance, non_owner_occupancy?

Action checklist preview

What you would do next

  • Review the official CHFA SmartStep and SmartStep Plus matrix for CHFA SmartStep and CHFA SmartStep Plus
  • Ask whether your lender is approved for this exact program and loan structure.
Open the full Colorado board

Paid research preview

What paid research already covers in Colorado

Paid research already tracks city and county programs, employer-assisted paths, public employee or pension paths, specialty and conditional paths for Colorado.

6 tracked deeper records

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What unlocks after payment

Specific program names, source notes, current-vs-conditional judgments, and the next lender or agency questions tied to this state.

1 tracked

city and county programs

City and county down payment or closing-cost programs that never make it into the free statewide layer.

1 tracked

employer-assisted paths

Employer-linked housing incentives and workforce programs that matter only if they fit your job or agency.

1 tracked

public employee or pension paths

Public employee or pension-backed mortgage angles that need slower source review.

3 tracked

specialty and conditional paths

Conditional, paused, or specialty paths worth checking before you assume the state is a dead end.

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Private workspace

What paid access adds after the free facts

This page stays free for public facts. Paid access turns this program into a shortlist item, a related-path decision layer, risk checks, lender-call prep, and a next-step queue.

If the public facts still look relevant, paid access is where you decide whether this path is stronger than your fallback and what to do next.

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Full state board

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Risk and lender prep

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Action queue

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