After 50, what comes next
Downsizing after divorce, without downgrading your life
Splitting one Denver house rarely buys two of the same. The good news is that the options for one person are better than most people expect, and some of them come with no yard work. Here is the menu, with the rules and numbers that matter.
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A smaller single-story home or townhome
Older divorced buyers, especially women, target ranches, condos and townhomes. Attached homes in the metro had a $370,000 median in August 2026.
A 55+ community
Age-restricted under federal law; at least 80 percent of homes need one resident 55 or older. Denver-metro HOAs commonly run $200 to $300 a month.
Rent for a year
Nothing wrong with it. Let the decree finish, the support start, and the credit heal before you commit.
Share a house
Older women increasingly house-share. Lower cost, company, and no HOA.
Decide by monthly cost, not by square footage. Add the payment, taxes, insurance, HOA and a repair reserve, and compare it to what you can carry alone with room to spare. In the Denver metro that usually points to an attached home, a 55+ community, or renting for a year while you buy on your own timeline instead of the court’s.
The four options, with numbers
A smaller home or townhome
Metro attached-home median was $370,000 in August 2026 (DMAR), down about 5 percent from a year earlier, with more inventory than detached homes. At 6.95 percent, every $100,000 borrowed is about $660 a month in principal and interest. A $370,000 townhome with 20 percent down is about $1,960 plus taxes, insurance and HOA.
Search on kennarealestate.comA 55+ community
Denver-area examples include Heritage Todd Creek (Thornton), Skyestone and Anthem Ranch (Broomfield), Hilltop at Inspiration (Aurora/Parker), and others; many offer attached and detached ranches with HOAs of $200 to $300 a month that cover exterior maintenance. Federal law requires 80 percent of homes to have a resident 55 or older; the 20 percent cushion is what lets a younger spouse stay, but each community decides whether to use it. Read the declaration before agreeing to a buyout where the under-55 spouse keeps the unit.
The complete listRenting for a year
Sensible when income or support is still settling, credit has a fresh late, or you do not know where your life will be. It is also the answer when the alternative is buying a second house you would have to sell in 18 months.
Rent or buy after divorceHouse-sharing
Two or three single adults sharing a home is now common enough that matching services exist. Lower cost, company, and a way to keep a house you like. Write a simple agreement about money, guests and what happens when someone leaves.
Ask usAt 62 and older: the reverse mortgage tools
Two uses come up in gray divorce. First, the spouse who stays can use a home-equity conversion mortgage (HECM) to pay the buyout as a lump sum with no monthly payment; the obligation to the ex is treated as a mandatory obligation. Second, the spouse who leaves can use HECM for Purchase to buy a smaller home with roughly 40 to 60 percent down and no monthly principal and interest. The 2026 HECM limit is $1,249,125. At 62 about 36 to 38 percent of the value is available; at 75 about 48 percent. The costs are real: about 2 percent up-front FHA insurance, 0.5 percent a year, origination up to $6,000, counseling, and compounding interest that reduces equity over time. You still pay taxes, insurance and HOA. It fits people who want to stay put on a fixed income and do not need to leave the house to heirs. Ask Mike Oswald at Rate; reverse mortgages are on his program list.
What to look at before you sign for a smaller place
- The HOA documents: reserves, special assessments, rental rules, age-verification policy.
- Single-story or an elevator. Stairs are fine at 58 and a problem at 75.
- The monthly all-in number against your post-divorce budget, with a repair reserve.
- The senior property-tax exemption: a new home restarts the 10-year clock unless Colorado’s temporary portability rule applies.
- Where the people are. Divorced men report more loneliness than women after 50; women report more money worry. Pick the place that fixes your version.
Questions people ask on this page
Can I buy into a 55+ community on my own?
Yes, if you meet the age rule (usually one resident 55 or older; some require the titleholder to be 55). Financing is the same as any home. Many are attached homes with lower prices and HOAs that cover exterior maintenance.
What if my ex is under 55 and wants to keep our 55+ home?
It depends on the community’s own rules. Federal law allows up to 20 percent of homes without a 55+ resident, but the community does not have to allow it. Check before the buyout is signed.
Should I sell first or buy first?
In today’s metro market most one-income buyers sell first (or close the divorce sale first) so the lender sees clean ratios and cash. A bridge loan is possible but expensive.
Do you charge for helping me figure this out?
No. The conversation, the valuation and the search are free. If you buy or sell with us, we are paid at closing like any agent, and you can use any lender you choose.
Gray Divorce in Colorado: Divorce After 50, the House, the Pension and What Comes Next
The short guide written for this page. Free, 6 pages, plain English, Colorado numbers. Fill in your name, email and phone and the PDF opens right away. Only Damon Chavez and Brian Burke see the form.
Where to go next
- Gray divorce in Colorado
- The free gray divorce guide (PDF)
- Downsizing after divorce
- From a big house to a condo
- Living on one income: the first year
- Running a home alone
- Rent or buy after divorce?
- What to do with the stuff
- Retirement accounts and pensions
- Written for women
- Written for men
- Taxes when you sell a long-held home
- The mortgage after divorce
- Buying again on one income
- 55+ communities in Colorado, the complete list
- Grey divorce and real estate on kennarealestate.com
- The virtual workshop
- Call or text 303-955-4220: a live person answers
- Book a free discovery call
- Get the free divorce-home guide (PDF)
Call your Colorado divorce agent
Questions about the house, the deed or the decree?
Call us today to talk through your situation and how we can help. A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree.
Ask us about the house
Tell us where you are in the process and what you are trying to figure out. We will answer honestly, including when the honest answer is to wait. Free, confidential, and nobody sells you anything.
Call or text 303-955-4220
A live person answers. Not a robot, not a phone tree. Prefer email? homes@kennarealestate.com
Ready to sell or buy? Kenna Real Estate Group handles the house.
- Divorce for women: the house, the money, the next move (kennarealestate.com)
- Real estate and divorce in Colorado: divorce realtors in every Front Range city and county
- Divorce and real estate articles on kennarealestate.com
Call or text 303-955-4220. A live person answers.
