55+ Active Adult Communities in Colorado: What They Actually Cost and What You Get

By Prerna Kapoor, CLHMS | REAL Brokerage | July 13, 2026

A client called me a few weeks ago asking about Anthem Ranch in Broomfield. She and her husband are 61 and 58, their kids are grown, and they are done maintaining a five-bedroom house in Highlands Ranch they do not need anymore. Her first question was not about price. It was whether they could even buy there if her husband was only 58.

What “55+” Actually Means (It Is Not What Most People Assume)

The rule comes from a federal exemption to the Fair Housing Act, not from each individual buyer’s birthday. Under the Housing for Older Persons Act, a community can legally restrict itself to residents 55 and older as long as at least 80 percent of occupied homes have at least one resident who meets that age, and the community publishes and follows written policies that verify it. That means my client did not need her husband to be 55. She needed to be, and the community needed to confirm it through its own paperwork, usually a driver’s license or birth certificate on file with the HOA.

Three Denver-Metro Communities Worth Knowing By Name

Anthem Ranch in Broomfield has around 1,300 homes built between 2006 and 2018, with resale prices generally landing between $700,000 and $1 million. It is known locally for its 32,000-square-foot Aspen Lodge and a genuinely deep roster of clubs and classes, which matters more than people expect when they are moving somewhere they do not know anyone yet. Heritage Eagle Bend in Aurora is the more upscale, gated option, built out mostly between 2000 and 2008 around a private golf course, with resale homes typically starting around $875,000 and up. Heritage Todd Creek in Thornton is the newest of the three, with construction that has continued into the 2020s, and pricing generally in the $600,000 to $1 million range. All three are Del Webb or Lennar-style master-planned communities, and all three have very different personalities once you actually walk them.

What the HOA Fee Actually Buys You

These communities run HOA dues well above what you would pay in a typical Parker or Aurora subdivision, usually $200 to $300 a month at Anthem Ranch and Heritage Todd Creek, and $300 to $500 a month or more at Heritage Eagle Bend once golf is factored in. That fee is doing real work: clubhouse access, a full activities calendar, landscaping, snow removal on common areas, and in some sections exterior maintenance. Before you write an offer, ask for the HOA resale certificate and the current reserve study, not just the monthly dues number. A community with a healthy reserve fund is far less likely to hit you with a special assessment two years after you move in.

Financing, Resale, and the Questions Buyers Skip

Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey put the 30-year fixed rate at 6.49% for the week of July 9, 2026, and financing a home in an active adult community works the same way as financing anywhere else. There is no special “senior mortgage” involved, and this is a different product entirely from a reverse mortgage, which taps equity in a home you already own rather than helping you buy a new one. The part buyers skip is resale. Because the community has to maintain that 80 percent occupancy threshold to keep its legal exemption, you generally cannot sell to a family with school-age kids and expect the HOA to sign off, which narrows your buyer pool at resale compared to a standard subdivision. If you are 65 or older and plan to stay put for a while, it is also worth checking whether you will eventually qualify for the Colorado senior property tax exemption, and if downsizing again someday is not the plan, my guide on planning to stay long-term covers what to check before you buy.

Quick answers

Do both spouses need to be 55 or older to buy? No. Federal rule requires only one occupant to be 55 or older; the community’s own paperwork will spell out how it verifies that.

Can grandkids visit or stay overnight? Usually, yes. HOPA restricts permanent residency, not visits, though most communities cap how many consecutive nights a guest can stay, so check the specific policy.

Is the HOA fee negotiable? Not really at purchase, but it is not fixed forever either. Ask for the last two to three years of dues increases along with the reserve study before you write an offer.

If you are weighing a 55+ community against staying put or looking at a smaller home in a standard neighborhood, I am always happy to walk through what actually fits, no pressure, no pitch. My free buyer’s guide also covers the basics if you want a starting point, and my Colorado Buyer Financing Playbook lays out financing options side by side if that is where you are stuck.

Prerna Kapoor | REALTOR® | Luxury Home Specialist
REAL Brokerage | 720-949-5450 | info@prernakapoor.com
CLHMS • RENE • PSA • ABR | International Sterling Society Award Winner

Prerna specializes in residential real estate across Parker, Aurora, Lone Tree, Castle Pines,
Highlands Ranch, Cherry Creek, Greenwood Village, and Centennial. She speaks English, Japanese,
and Hindi.