WORDS I LIKE — Positioning matters more than timing.
Most parents plan to write one big check.
They worry about the tax hit later.
That worry is solving the wrong problem.
The real risk is timing, and paperwork nobody set up first.
Fix the order, and the tax question mostly disappears.
The Piece Nobody Talks About.
A down payment gift isn't just money changing hands. Lenders need a gift letter. It's a simple document proving the money is a gift, not a loan you'll repay.
Denver's median price for single-family homes is $675,000, up 1.5% from a year ago, per DMAR's June 2026 report. A standard 10% down payment now runs $67,500. That's pushing more buyers toward family help just to compete.
Most families assume a big gift means a tax headache. It usually doesn't. Colorado's CHFA loans, the state's low-down-payment programs, need as little as $1,000 from the borrower directly. The 2026 gift-tax exclusion, the amount you can give tax-free each year, is $19,000 per person or $38,000 per couple. That covers the rest, but only if it's set up before the offer, not after.
This matters most for parents and grandparents helping an adult child buy here in Denver. Loop in the family's CPA or estate planner before the offer goes in. Then the loan program, the gift letter, and the timing all line up, instead of getting untangled after closing.
Mid-year is exactly when families start planning this with their advisors, for this year's gift and next year's.
THIS WEEK'S TAKEAWAY
The gift isn't the hard part. The order is. Set it up before the offer, not after.
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📍 Mile High Housing Brief
I’ve started sharing a short snapshot of what’s happening in the Denver housing market — inventory trends, pricing shifts, and what they may mean for buyers and homeowners.
Here’s what the latest signal looks like in Denver:
PS
If you're planning to help a child or grandchild with a down payment this year, reply "gift" and I'll walk you through the order that keeps it simple.
No spam. No sales pitches. Just clarity.
— Neil Christiansen, Certified Mortgage Advisor
