Mountain homes
Buying a Second Home in the Mountains Near Denver
Pick a Colorado mountain home by drive time, winter access and insurance first.
A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree.
Pick a mountain home by drive time, winter access and insurance first, then the view. Evergreen's 3-month median was $888K through June 2026 (Redfin), while Summit County single-family homes averaged $2,388,559 in Q4 2025 (Land Title). Get a written insurance quote before you sign a contract.
Foothills or resort town?
- Foothills: Evergreen sits about 43 minutes from Denver Union Station without traffic (OSRM routing estimate). 3-month median $888K through June 2026 (Redfin).
- Summit County: single-family average $2,388,559 in Q4 2025 (Land Title via comtnrealty).
- Aspen: single-family median $13.2 million in 2025 (Aspen Board of Realtors via Colorado Sun).
- Conifer, Genesee and Morrison are also foothills areas west of Denver.
What needs checking on a mountain home?
- Water: public, private well or other. The seller discloses the source.
- Septic: type, permit date, last inspection and last pumping go on the Colorado disclosure.
- Radon: Colorado sellers disclose known radon and give buyers radon information (SB23-206).
- Roads: county-plowed or private, and who pays. Internet: confirm the provider and speed at the address before you offer.
How does financing work?
- 2026 conforming limit: $1,209,750 in Eagle, Garfield, Pitkin and Summit counties; $862,500 in the Denver metro counties (FHFA).
- Loans above those limits are jumbo loans.
- {{MIKE}} quotes second-home terms on your numbers.
Can I rent it out?
- Each town and county sets its own short-term rental rules.
- In Breckenridge, a rental license does not transfer when the home sells.
- Read the town and county rules before you count on rental income.
- Summit County posts its short-term rental rules and FAQs online.
How do I budget a mountain home?
- Insurance: get a written quote first. Snow removal and private road fees.
- HOA dues in resort condos and townhomes.
- Property tax at the 2026 local-government assessment rate of 6.80% (Colorado Division of Property Taxation).
- Your time: weekend traffic on I-70.
Does altitude matter?
- The CDC places altitude illness at 8,000 to 10,000 feet (CDC Yellow Book, 2026).
- Breckenridge sits at 9,600 feet (Breckenridge Resort). Denver sits at 5,280.
- Spend a few nights at elevation before you buy. Talk to your doctor.
- Denver to Evergreen is a smaller climb than Denver to Summit County.
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.
How far are the mountains from Denver?
Evergreen is about 43 minutes from Denver Union Station without traffic (OSRM estimate). Summit County is farther west on I-70.
What is the jumbo limit in Summit County for 2026?
$1,209,750 (FHFA). Loans above it are jumbo loans.
Do mountain towns charge a transfer tax?
Some do, including Aspen and Crested Butte. Check the town before you write an offer.
Sources
Where the numbers come from.
- Redfin, Evergreen CO housing market (3 months ending June 2026)
- Land Title data via comtnrealty, Summit County market stats Q4 2025
- Colorado Sun, Aspen Board of Realtors data (Mar 20, 2026)
- FHFA Conforming Loan Limit Values Map (2026)
- SB23-206, Disclose Radon Information for Residential Property
- Summit County, Short-Term Rental FAQs
- CDC Yellow Book 2026, High-Altitude Travel and Altitude Illness
- Breckenridge Resort, Breckenridge elevation
- Colorado Division of Property Taxation, Residential Local Government Assessment Rate (2026)
Where to go next
Keep reading.
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Kenna Luxury Real Estate is a division of the Kenna Real Estate Group at Keller Williams DTC (KWDTC).