Should I buy a home in Denver now or wait?

Figures checked October 21, 2026.

This question usually comes down to two others: will prices drop, and will rates drop? Nobody can tell you either one. What we do know is what the market looks like right now, and for buyers it’s better than it’s been in years.

What the Denver market looks like this fall

These are the Denver Metro Association of Realtors numbers for September 2026.

	September 2026
Homes for sale at month’s end	13,567
Months of inventory, all homes	4.76
Months of inventory, condos and townhomes	7.21
Median days on the market	32
Sale price as a share of list price	98.45%
Homes sold	2,849, the fewest in any September since 2008

Months of inventory is how long it would take to sell every home for sale if no new ones were listed. Under about three months, sellers usually have the edge. At 4.76, buyers have more homes to compare and more room to negotiate. For condos and townhomes, at 7.21 months, buyers have even more.

Fewer sales also means fewer buyers competing with you, and the typical home is selling a little below its asking price.

What you can ask for

When a market leans toward buyers, the asking price isn’t the only thing you can negotiate. Depending on the home, you can ask the seller to:

• lower the price
• pay part of your closing costs
• pay for a rate buydown, which lowers your interest rate
• fix what the inspection finds, or give you a credit for it
• work around your timing, such as a later closing date

None of these are guaranteed, and a home that just listed in a good spot may still draw more than one offer.

What waiting could cost

Rates could go either way. The 30-year rate was 6.27% a year ago and is 7.40% now. Fannie Mae’s October forecast has rates around 7.5% through 2027, and the Mortgage Bankers Association expects them to stay above 7%. Forecasts miss, but neither one shows a drop to wait for. On a $585,000 loan, here’s the monthly principal and interest at a few rates. Taxes, insurance, and mortgage insurance are on top.

Rate	Principal and interest
6.0%	$3,507
6.5%	$3,698
7.4% (today)	$4,050
8.0%	$4,293

If rates fall, you may be able to refinance, if your credit, income, and the home’s value qualify. Refinancing costs about 3% to 6% of the loan, according to Freddie Mac, so it takes a real drop to pay off. If rates rise, the home you could afford today costs more each month.

Lower rates bring buyers back. The quiet market is the reason buyers can negotiate today. If rates fall, more buyers return, and that room to negotiate shrinks.

Rent keeps going. Every month you wait is another month of rent and another month you aren’t paying down a loan. The rent or buy article works through that math on one home.

When waiting makes sense

Waiting is the better choice if:

• you might move in the next three or four years
• buying would leave you with less than a few months of expenses in savings
• the payment only works if rates fall
• you haven’t found an area or a kind of home you’d want to stay in