Money and taxes
Should I Pay Cash for a House in Retirement? Colorado
Pay cash when the money is not needed for income, taxes or reserves.
A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree.
Pay cash when the money is not needed for income, taxes or reserves, and a paid-off home lowers your bills more than the money earns elsewhere. 26% of U.S. buyers paid all cash in 2025, an all-time high (NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers). Cash offers skip loan approval, so sellers see a surer close.
Why are so many buyers paying cash?
- All-cash buyers hit 26% of purchases in 2025, tied for the all-time high (NAR, 2025).
- Repeat buyers put down their largest down payments since 2003 (NAR, 2025).
- Sellers of long-held homes roll paid-off equity into the next purchase.
What does cash win me in Colorado?
- No loan approval deadline in the contract.
- Closing on the seller's timeline, which matters when they are buying too.
- A stronger position when two offers are close on price.
What does cash cost me?
- Money in the house is hard to get back out. You need a sale or a new loan.
- Selling investments to raise cash triggers taxes. Ask your CPA first.
- You give up the spread between a mortgage rate and what the money earns.
Is there a middle path?
- Pay cash to win the house, then finance later. Ask Mike Oswald at Rate, (720) 677-5816 what a later loan requires before you close.
- Put a large down payment on a smaller loan.
- Look at a HECM for Purchase if you are 62 or older and want no monthly mortgage payment.
What does a cash offer look like on paper?
- Cash as the payment method, with no new loan terms.
- Proof of funds attached to the offer.
- An inspection period and a title review, same as any buyer.
- Earnest money sized to show the seller you are serious.
How do I prove funds and protect the wire?
- Get a proof-of-funds letter from your bank or brokerage dated within the last few days.
- Call the title company at a number you found yourself before you wire. Never trust wiring instructions from an email alone.
- Keep taxes, insurance, HOA dues and a repair fund outside the house. Your financial advisor sets that number.
Financing by Rate: Mike Oswald, VP of Mortgage Lending, NMLS #261003, (720) 677-5816. Guaranteed Rate, Inc. d/b/a Rate, NMLS #2611. Equal Housing Lender. Licensing: nmlsconsumeraccess.org. You may use any lender; the Kenna Real Estate Group receives nothing for the introduction. Not a commitment to lend; loans are subject to credit approval.
Quick answers
Questions, answered.
Do cash buyers get a lower price?
Sometimes. Cash removes loan risk, so some sellers take a lower cash offer over a higher financed one. The market decides, and we show you the recent sales.
Do I need an appraisal if I pay cash?
No lender means no required appraisal. We still recommend comparing the price to recent sales with a Smart Pricing Report.
What share of buyers pay cash?
26% of buyers paid all cash in 2025 (NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers).
Sources
Where the numbers come from.
Free playbook
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- One point of contact from the first showing to the closing table.
Kenna Luxury Real Estate is a division of the Kenna Real Estate Group at Keller Williams DTC (KWDTC).