Buy a home in Denver with a broker who reads the house.
Tours with written notes, a fee in plain numbers before the first showing, and every deadline tracked from offer to closing.
- Buyer agreement explained line by line
- Sewer scope and radon test on every older home
Four steps from first call to front door keys.
Most buyers tour for four to eight weeks and close 30 to 45 days after an accepted offer.
Talk it through
A 30 minute call or coffee about budget, timing and which neighborhoods fit how you live. No paperwork yet.
Sign the buyer agreement
Before the first tour, we sign a written agreement that states our services and our fee in plain numbers.
Tour and compare
We tour together and send notes after each home: recent sales nearby, what the roof and sewer line are likely to need, and what we would offer.
Offer, inspect, close
We write the offer, schedule the inspection, sewer scope and radon test, negotiate repairs and track every deadline to closing day.
What will I sign before the first tour?
Since August 17, 2024, a buyer working with an agent signs a written agreement before touring a home with that agent. Colorado buyers were used to this already, because the state has long had an approved form for it.
Ours runs on that Colorado form, with a one page summary on top in plain words. We read it with you before you sign, and you can take it home first.
You can ask for a short term
If you are not ready to commit for months, ask for an agreement that covers one weekend of tours or one address. We write those often.
What the agreement spells out
- What we do for you: tours, pricing research, the offer, inspections, deadlines
- Our fee, as a specific amount or rate, and a line saying it is negotiable
- That we cannot be paid more than the agreement says, from any source
- How long the agreement lasts and which areas it covers
- How either of us can end it
This page explains how we work. It is general information and does not replace legal advice about your own contract.
What does it cost to buy a home in Denver?
Beyond the down payment, plan for these. We give you a written estimate for the specific house before you offer.
| Cost | When it is due | Typical amount |
|---|---|---|
| Earnest money | Due a few days after your offer is accepted | Often 1% to 3% of the price, credited back at closing |
| General inspection | During the inspection period | About $450 to $700 |
| Sewer scope | With the inspection | About $150 to $250 |
| Radon test | With the inspection | About $150 to $200 |
| Appraisal | Ordered by your lender | About $600 to $800 |
| Closing costs | At closing | Often 2% to 3% of the loan amount |
Typical ranges for planning. Your lender's loan estimate gives the exact closing costs for your loan.
What we check on every Denver house.
Tobias spent eight years as a home inspector before he joined Pikewell. These four checks come from what he found most often in older Denver homes.
- Sewer line: a camera scope, because many pre-1970s homes still have clay pipe
- Radon: a two day test, since much of Colorado has elevated levels
- Roof: age, layers and hail history, which decide whether an insurer will write the policy
- Permits: whether the basement finish, the addition or the new furnace was ever signed off
Where do you want to live?
Start with a guide. Each one covers the homes, the parks, the streets and what to check before you buy there.
Bungalows and Denver SquaresWashington ParkA 165 acre park, two lakes and brick homes on every block
Victorians and skyline viewsHighlandBrick Victorians and modern townhomes above downtown
Lake loop and mountain sunsetsSloan's LakeDenver's largest lake, with the Front Range behind it
Parkways and TudorsPark HillTree lined parkways and brick Tudors east of City Park
Newer homes and open spaceCentral ParkHomes built since 2001 around 1,100 acres of parks
Tennyson Street and bungalowsBerkeleyBrick bungalows a short walk from Tennyson StreetHomes we are showing now.
Sample listings written for this demo. A live site shows current MLS listings.
New this week$1,485,000Restored 1912 Denver Square near Washington Park- 4 beds
- 3 baths
- 2,940 sq ft
- Built 1912
Open Saturday$865,0001926 brick bungalow near Tennyson Street- 3 beds
- 2 baths
- 1,720 sq ft
- Built 1926
Price improved$1,050,000Modern townhome with a rooftop deck by Sloan's Lake- 3 beds
- 4 baths
- 2,180 sq ft
- Built 2019
What clients say.
Sample reviews written for this demo. A live site would pull them from Google.
Tobias had us sign the buyer agreement at his office and walked through every line first, including what he would be paid. We toured eleven homes in Berkeley and he talked us out of two of them. We closed on the twelfth.
The sewer scope found a cracked clay line on a house we loved. Tobias got the seller to replace it before closing and had the plumber's invoice in our file the same week.
We were moving from out of state and saw the townhome on a video call first. Ilsa measured the garage for our truck and counted the stairs to the roof deck. Nothing surprised us on move-in day.
Buying in Denver, answered.
What buyers ask us before the first tour.
What is a buyer agreement, and why do I have to sign one?
It is a written contract between you and your agent. Since August 17, 2024, an agent working with a buyer must have one signed before touring a home together. It lists the services you get, how long the agreement lasts, and exactly what the agent is paid.
Who pays the buyer's agent now?
The buyer agreement sets the fee, and you are responsible for it. In practice, we ask the seller to cover it as a term of your offer, and many sellers agree. Offers of buyer agent pay no longer appear on the MLS, so we confirm what a seller will offer before you write.
Can I negotiate your fee?
Yes. Agent compensation is fully negotiable and is never set by law. We put ours in writing as a specific amount, so there is nothing open ended.
How long does it take to buy a home in Denver?
Most of our buyers tour for four to eight weeks. Once an offer is accepted, a financed purchase usually closes in 30 to 45 days. Cash can close in about two weeks.
Why do you order a sewer scope on every older home?
Many Denver homes built before the 1970s still have clay sewer lines, and tree roots find the joints. A camera inspection costs a couple hundred dollars. A line replacement can cost many thousands. We want that known before your inspection deadline.
Should I test for radon?
Yes. Much of Colorado has elevated radon levels in the soil, and a test during inspection takes about two days. If the level comes back high, a mitigation system is a common repair request.
Can I tour a home without signing anything?
You can go to any open house on your own, and you can ask a listing agent questions about their listing. To tour privately with one of us as your agent, the written agreement comes first.
Tell us what you are looking for.
A few details and one of us will call or text within one business hour. No drip emails, no auto dialer.
(720) 555-0164Office hours: Monday to Friday 8:30 AM to 6 PM, weekends 10 AM to 4 PM. Showings any day by appointment.