First Time Home Buyer in Lakewood CO | Nathan Mortgage
Transition from Renting to Owning
Becoming a first-time home buyer has benefits— customize your living space, build equity, enjoy a stable affordable monthly payment, save on taxes, protect yourself against inflation, and enjoy pride of home ownership.

Affordable Monthly Payment

Build Equity

Customize Your Home
Market Watch Video
Is now a good time to be a first-time home buyer?
Mortgage rates are rising, and buying competition is cooling. Learn what to expect in the video presented by Realtor Bryan Molaska and the Nathan Mortgage.
Buy Your First Home
Down Payment Myths
You don’t need a 20% down payment to buy a home. Conventional loans start as low as 3% down, and FHA loans start at 3.5%. You can put down less or add more if you have the funds.
First-time home buyers can use:
- Savings
- Cash Gift
- Assistance Programs
- 401K Loan

The Right Time To Buy A Home
First time buyers make up 50% of the home purchase market. While the market is hot, you can buy a home knowing it’s a wise financial move.
What You NEED
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A credit score of 580 for an FHA loan. 620 to qualify for a conventional home loan.
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Household income that can support mortgage payments. Affordability Calculator
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A modest down payment of at least 3% or a down payment assistance program.
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Funds for closing costs.
What You’ll GAIN
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Your own domain – You decide when to move, not a landlord who suddenly decides to sell.
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Affordable monthly payments – Set loan payments, no more unexpected rent increases or change without notice.
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Build equity fast – Prices in Denver forecast to rise by 17.5% in 2022.
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More Net Worth – Homeowners average 80x net worth than renters.
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Tax benefits
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Pride of home ownership
LOANS Conventional Mortgages
🛈 The overall borrowing costs of conventional loans tend to be lower than other types of mortgages. You can cancel private mortgage insurance (PMI) once you’ve hit 20% in equity, unlike FHA loans in which the Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP) lasts the lifetime of the loan. Down payments as low as 3%.
LOANS Jumbo Mortgages
🛈 Jumbo loans allow you to borrow more money but do require more loan documentation and a higher down payment. Learn More
LOANS Government Backed Mortgages
🛈 Government-backed loans help make homeownership possible for borrowers who don’t have a large down payment saved up or don’t have pristine credit.
FHA Loans Credit requirements are more relaxed with an FHA loan. FHA loans require Mortgage Insurance Premium (MIP) for the lifetime of the loan.
USDA Loans For rural areas.
VA Loans $0 down payment option available for U.S. Military (active duty, veterans, and their spouses). No mortgage insurance.
LOANS Fixed Rate Mortgages
🛈 Fixed rate loans have a set principal and interest rate over the life of the loan. Most often used by buyers who plan on living in their homes for 10+ years.
LOANS Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs)
🛈 Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) have an initial fixed rate that can change based on a specific benchmark, such as the prime lending rates.
LOANS Interest Only Mortgages
🛈 Allows you to pay only interest for the first 5 years and defer principal payments until later. No home equity is built through monthly payments.
First Time Homebuyer Programs
Down Payment Assistance Programs and Home Loans
Down Payment Assistance Programs and Home Loans
The Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) provides first time homebuyer programs.
CHFA Loan Programs
- CHFA fixed-rate mortgage
CHFA Down Payment and or Closing Cost Help
- Grant
- Second mortgage (not due until the property is sold or is no longer your primary residence)
Noteworthy: Most first time homebuyers opt for a conventional rather than a CHFA/FHA loan program to avoid lifetime FHA mortgage insurance.

Shopping For a Mortgage Lender
Your lender should take time to walk you through mortgage process— home loans available, recommended solutions, and the current market.
What to Look For in a Lender
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Knowledge of Home Loans; Including First Time Buyer Loans
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Years of Experience
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Timely Responses
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Positive Reviews
What to Expect at Your Consult
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Learn About First Time Home Buyer Loans
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Learn About First Time Homebuyer Programs
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Credit Approval Status (credit approval status post application)
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Today’s Mortgage Rates
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Steps in the Buying Process
Home Buying Team
Your Realtor + Your Lender
Your lender and real estate agent should work together to help you land a contract on your new home. The best lender + an expert real estate agent is KEY in a hot market.
Home Buying Checklist
A Free Guide
Learn the essential steps to home buying that will put your mind at ease and ready you for the journey. Learn more about what should be done before you even begin house hunting.
Frequently Asked Questions
First Time Homebuyers’ FAQs
Use our affordability calculator, mortgage calculator, or contact us for a free consult. We can quickly determine if you meet the income requirements to be a first-time homebuyer. Learn more about first-time homebuyer programs.
Yes, as a first time homebuyer there are a lot of mortgage options and decisions. Select a lender who is patient, can walk you through the mortgage options and rationale, and is available to you 100% of the time.
Yes, as a first time homebuyer there are a lot of mortgage options and decisions. Select a lender who is patient, can walk you through the mortgage options and rationale and is available to you 100% of the time.
There are several payment assistance programs to help with mortgage down payment for first time homebuyers. They typically have income limits. Learn more about assistance programs.
FHA loan is a government backed loan. FHA loans work really well for low–to–average credit scores (580 and above) with a 3.5% down. FHA mortgage insurance is required in the monthly mortgage payments for the life of the loan, unlike Conventional loans. Learn more about FHA loans.
An FHA loan is great for first time home buyers with lower credit and 3.5% down. Similar to an FHA loan, but for rural homes, a USDA loan requirements are more forgiving.
FHA loan Consult
An FHA loan can signal a weaker position to the seller. Even more true if using an assistance program to help with the down payment requirement. The seller may go with another offer based on the loan type.
Yes, due to high home values jumbo loans are frequently used to buy a home.
Loan Amount
Loan amounts vary based on income, monthly debts, down payment, and credit.
Closing Costs
Pay closing costs at your home buyer closing appointment by certified check or wire (requires bank account and routing number). Includes your mortgage down payment and closing cost fees.

5.0 60 reviews
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I can't thank Nathan and his team enough for their help with my refinance. Nathan and the team are knowledgeable, responsive, and went above and beyond to help get my refinance closed.
★★★★★ 3 years ago dapo fadeyi
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I Jack Claridge and Marive Dawkins are very happy to have Nathan and his staff help us with our very difficult mortgage . I think we put his whole staff to the test and they got us approved in time to close . So we will advise people that … More need financing to go to Nathan and his coworkers , they will go above and beyond to get it done !!!
★★★★★ 3 years ago jack claridge
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We cannot recommend Nathan's work enough - he takes the time to make his clients comfortable and educated in the mortgage process. He is always quick to respond and extremely professional. We worked with Nathan on the purchase of our … More first house, so we knew very little about the entire process. Nathan took the time, in multiple meetings, to walk us through step by step to understand not only the high-level steps but all the details, including terms and calculations, to make sure we could make an informed decision on what we could comfortably afford. We knew he was an invaluable resource in the first 15 minutes we worked with him and never regretted the choice. I have already recommended Nathan to friends and family who are very pleased with his work.
★★★★★ 5 years ago Jack Kern
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My husband and I have used Nathan for two home refinances now, and both times have been more than thrilled with the results. Nathan is responsive, professional, and very savvy when it comes to getting you the best deal. Most companies deliver … More the bare minimum, but Nathan Mortgage cares about their customers and always strives to deliver the best. Nathan spent months helping us move around funds, pay down debt, shop the best deals, and working the system to get us the lowest interest payments possible. We’re now saving hundreds of dollars in monthly payments, got rid of our PMI, and are saving tens of thousands over the life of the loan. We will be life long customers, and simply cannot recommend Nathan enough to others.
★★★★★ 5 years ago Amanda Linegar
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So happy we used Nathan! Some family members recommended him and we are glad they did. He went above and beyond to get us the best deal possible with our loan. Nathan was very knowledgeable and able to get us the best possible loan terms … More imaginable. The title company was even surprised with how great of a deal we got.Even though our home buying experience was filled with bumps and deals falling through for months on end, he was easy to get a hold of and made us his priority every time we needed him. Nathan was always our advocate and the #1 person on our side through this process. Highly recommend!
★★★★★ 5 years ago Hayley Sprenger
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Our refinance was effortless, smooth, and everyone working at Nathan Mortgage was personable, knowledgeable, and professional.Nathan himself was very forthright, easy to talk to and enthusiastic about his product. We will not hesitate to … More recommend Nathan and his staff to friends and family!
★★★★★ 5 years ago Bernie McClendon
Free Consult
Ready to buy a home or curious about the home buying process? Fill out the form below to request a free no-obligation consult with our mortgage Lakewood team.