Denver Market Update: August 2026
Denver single-family median list price is $800K, metro prices down 3.4% YoY. Rates at 6.69%. What move-up buyers need to know in August 2026.
Denver metro prices are down 3.4% YoY — move-up buyers have more room to negotiate than last year.
Market Trends
Denver metro list prices are down from a year ago, and if you're shopping single-family homes in the $700K–$1M range, that shift is working in your favor. The metro-wide median list price is down 3.4% year-over-year, and price per square foot has dropped a similar 3.1% — sellers are asking less than they were this time last year.
The single-family median list price sits at $800,000 today. Homes are selling for about what sellers are asking — you're not likely to get pulled into a bidding war, but you probably won't talk someone down much either. Closed sales are up 5.1% year-over-year — buyers are out there and deals are getting done, just at lower prices than last year.
- Median single-family list price: $800,000
- Metro list prices YoY: down 3.4% — sellers are asking less than a year ago
- Price per square foot YoY: down 3.1% — the softening is broad-based, not just at the top
- Sale-to-list ratio: 1.00 — homes are selling at asking price on average; no bidding wars, no systematic discounts
- Closed sales YoY: up 5.1% — demand is there; buyers are just paying less for it
- Median days on market: 46 days — homes are moving at a steady pace
If you're moving up from a lower price point, lower asking prices and no bidding-war pressure mean you can make a serious offer based on recent sales rather than chasing a number.
Interest Rates and Mortgage Impact
Rates have moved against buyers over the past three months — the 30-year fixed climbed from 6.37% on May 7 to 6.69% as of August 6, a 0.32 percentage point increase. It's worth understanding what that costs you.
On a $750,000 home with 5% down ($712,500 mortgage), the one-month move from 6.49% to 6.69% adds $94/month — from $4,499 to $4,593. Over the life of the loan, that 0.20 percentage point shift adds $33,840 in total interest.
If you're negotiating with a seller who has room to move, ask about a seller-paid 2-1 buy-down instead of a straight price cut. On this loan, a buy-down costs the seller about $16,368 and cuts your year-one payment to $3,691 — saving you $902/month in year one and $462/month in year two before stepping to the full rate. The same amount applied as a price cut only saves you $106/month. The buy-down front-loads the relief when you're most stretched.
Homebuyer Tip
Ask for the seller's insurance history before you go under contract.
Colorado's wildfire risk has tightened the home insurance market, and a prior non-renewal or wildfire claim on a property can make coverage harder — and more expensive — to find.
- Request the property's insurance history from the seller — current carrier, any prior non-renewals, and any prior claims. This is a legitimate ask before you commit.
- Confirm coverage availability with two separate insurers before you remove your inspection contingency — not after. A property that can't be insured can't be financed.
- If there's been a prior non-renewal, raise it with your agent or attorney — it can be a disclosure issue, and you want that resolved before closing, not at it.
Getting this sorted early keeps you from falling in love with a home and finding out about the insurance problem too late to do anything about it.
If you're tracking the Denver single-family market through the fall, I publish this Market Update every month. Subscribe at denverpropertyadvisors.com and you'll get next month's edition the day it's out.
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Paul McCoy, Realtor, Realtor | Fathom Realty | License #: FA.100105533 | (319) 325-0668 | pmccoy626@gmail.com
Paul McCoy is a licensed real estate professional in Colorado. Equal Housing Opportunity.