Northern Colorado is a three-county market — Larimer, Weld and the north edge of Boulder — and the county line is worth more attention here than almost anywhere else on the Front Range. The conforming limit is the same everywhere, but the FHA limit swings by more than $300,000 between Weld and Boulder counties, and towns like Windsor, Johnstown and Erie sit right on the seams. Here is how the money works in 2026.
Where the lines fall
- Larimer County — Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor (west of the county line), Timnath, Berthoud, Wellington
- Weld County — Greeley, Windsor (east side), Johnstown, Milliken, Severance, Evans, Firestone, Frederick, eastern Erie
- Boulder County — western Erie, Longmont, Lafayette, Louisville
Windsor and Erie each straddle a county line. Two homes in the same town, a mile apart, can fall under different FHA limits, different property-tax structures and different service districts.
2026 loan limits by county
| County (areas) | 2026 conforming limit (1-unit) | 2026 FHA limit (1-unit) | HUD 2026 area median price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Larimer (Fort Collins, Loveland, west Windsor) | $832,750 | $634,800 | $552,000 |
| Weld (Greeley, Johnstown, east Windsor, east Erie) | $832,750 | $575,000 | $500,000 |
| Boulder (west Erie, Longmont) | $879,750 | $879,750 | $765,000 |
Reading the table:
- Conforming is the national baseline ($832,750) in Larimer and Weld, and higher ($879,750) in Boulder County. Most of Northern Colorado's housing stock sits comfortably under it, so conventional financing is the default here.
- FHA is where geography bites. Larimer's FHA ceiling is $634,800; Weld's is $575,000; Boulder's is $879,750. A buyer using FHA on a $600,000 home is fine on the Fort Collins side of Windsor and over the limit on the Greeley side. That doesn't end the conversation — it usually means a larger down payment, a conventional structure, or a different property — but it should happen before the offer, not after.
- Multi-unit limits are higher in every county; the full table is in our Colorado loan limits guide.
New construction along I-25
Windsor, Johnstown, Severance, Timnath, Wellington and east Erie are among the most active new-home markets in Colorado. Two financing details come up on nearly every new-build file:
- Metro-district mill levies. Nearly every new subdivision in the corridor is served by a Title 32 metropolitan district that repays infrastructure bonds through an added property-tax levy. Lenders qualify you on the full tax bill, so the same builder floor plan can carry a different payment from one community to the next. The county assessor's parcel record lists every levy — pull it before you sign a builder contract.
- Builder-lender incentives. Closing-cost credits and rate buydowns tied to the builder's affiliated lender are common. Compare the builder's complete Loan Estimate to an outside quote on the same day, same lock period and same program; sometimes the builder's offer wins, sometimes the incentive is smaller than the headline.
Construction delays can outrun a standard rate lock, so ask about extended-lock options when you go under contract.
Water, wells and acreage
Larimer and Weld counties include a meaningful amount of rural and semi-rural property — acreage outside Wellington, Berthoud, LaSalle and along the Poudre. Homes on private wells and septic systems are financeable with conventional, FHA, VA and USDA programs, but each has property requirements (water-quality testing, septic condition, access roads) that affect the appraisal timeline. Tell your loan officer up front if a property is on a well so the right inspections are ordered once.
Insurance along the foothills
Hail is the region's headline weather risk and shapes premiums and roof-age requirements across all three counties; foothill and wildland-interface addresses west of Fort Collins and Loveland can also carry wildfire underwriting. Insurance is part of your qualifying payment — get a property-specific quote early.
Down-payment help
CHFA, Colorado's housing finance authority, offers a non-repayable grant or a 0% deferred second mortgage for down payment and closing costs, used with CHFA first-mortgage programs through participating lenders. The caps and the grant-vs-second decision are explained in our CHFA guide. Some Northern Colorado cities and housing authorities add local programs that come and go with funding — ask what is actually available this quarter rather than relying on a program webpage.
Suburb by suburb
- Fort Collins — Broad price range from Old Town condos to foothill homes; conventional dominates, with FHA under $634,800 and jumbo above $832,750.
- Loveland — Similar structure to Fort Collins with more inventory under the FHA ceiling and active new construction on the east side.
- Greeley — The corridor's most attainable pricing; FHA (to $575,000), VA and CHFA-assisted purchases are common.
- Windsor — Check the county line: west-side addresses fall under Larimer's higher FHA limit, east-side under Weld's. Metro-district levies vary sharply between master-planned communities.
- Johnstown & Milliken — Weld County new-construction market; builder-lender comparison and metro-district review are the two must-do steps.
- Erie — Boulder–Weld county line runs through town: Boulder-side addresses carry an $879,750 FHA/conforming limit, Weld-side $575,000 FHA. Property taxes and special districts differ street to street.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know which county a Windsor or Erie address is in? The county assessor's parcel search (Larimer, Weld or Boulder) returns it instantly, and the listing's tax records show which county collects the bill. Your loan officer will confirm it before quoting a payment.
If I'm over the FHA limit on the Weld side, what are my options? A conventional loan (limits are higher and the same on both sides of the line), a larger down payment to bring the FHA loan amount under the ceiling, or a property on the Larimer side. The right answer depends on your credit profile and cash to close.
Do metro-district taxes ever go away? They decline or end when the district's bonds are repaid, which can take decades. The district's service plan and current mill levy are public through the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and the county assessor.
Is USDA financing available in Northern Colorado? USDA eligibility is address-specific; parts of Weld and Larimer counties outside the larger cities qualify. Your loan officer can check an address against the USDA map in minutes.
Talk to someone who lives here
Xpert Home Lending's Northern Colorado loan officers live and work along the I-25 corridor — serving Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, Windsor, Johnstown and Erie — and they sort out county lines, FHA ceilings and metro-district levies before you ever write an offer. Start a conversation when you're ready, or explore the Northern Colorado hub.
Sources
- FHFA 2026 Conforming Loan Limit Values
- HUD FHA Mortgage Limits — 2026 FHA limits by county
- Colorado Department of Local Affairs — Special Districts
- USDA Rural Development — Property Eligibility
- CHFA Homeownership
Loan limits are published annually by FHFA and HUD and are current for 2026 as of August 2026; mill levies, insurance premiums, builder incentives and program terms vary by property and change without notice. This is general information, not a loan offer, a commitment to lend, or tax or insurance advice. Xpert Home Lending Inc., NMLS #2179191. Equal Housing Lender.