Lender Insights - 2026 Summer

Northern Colorado Housing Outlook: Jobs, Growth, and New Opportunities for Homebuyers by Joe Whitlock

The biggest local economic story this summer may also become one of the biggest housing stories of the next several years.

Earlier this month, Broadcom announced a $1.5 billion expansion and modernization project at its Fort Collins semiconductor manufacturing campus as part of Apple's commitment to spend more than $30 billion on U.S.-made chips over the coming years. The agreement is expected to result in more than 15 billion chips being manufactured in the United States, with Fort Collins playing a central role in that effort.

For Northern Colorado, this investment represents much more than a construction project. Semiconductor manufacturing and advanced technology positions are among the highest-paying jobs in our region, and major employment investments have historically translated into increased housing demand and long-term support for home values.

As engineers, technicians, project managers, and support staff move into the area, the impact will likely extend well beyond Fort Collins into surrounding communities such as Windsor, Timnath, Wellington, Loveland, and Severance. While no single project determines the direction of a housing market, announcements of this size reinforce what many local residents already know — Northern Colorado continues to attract high-paying jobs, strong employers, and long-term economic investment that support housing demand throughout the region.

There is also exciting news for educators and school employees across Colorado. Beginning in July 2026, CHFA launched its new Schools to Home program to help public school employees purchase homes in the communities where they work. The program offers a fixed-rate first mortgage combined with a second mortgage that can provide up to 25% of the first mortgage amount for down payment assistance and closing costs.

To put that into perspective, a borrower with a $400,000 first mortgage could potentially receive up to $100,000 in assistance toward their down payment and closing costs through the program. That's a level of assistance rarely seen in traditional homeownership programs and could be a game changer for many educators across Northern Colorado.

The program is available to full-time public school employees throughout Colorado, including teachers, administrators, counselors, paraprofessionals, custodial staff, and other support personnel. The goal is simple: helping the people who serve our communities every day have an opportunity to live in the communities they support.

Joe Whitlock & Chris Murphy

The Murphy Whitlock Group

 (used with permission)