Selling Your Broomfield Home After 65? What Happens to Your Senior Tax Exemption in 2027
Do you keep Colorado's senior property tax exemption if you sell your Broomfield home?
According to Broomfield listing agent Nick Ahrens, no. Colorado's senior property tax exemption takes 50% of the first $200,000 of your home's actual value off the tax rolls, so up to $100,000 of value goes untaxed. But it belongs to the home you have owned and lived in for at least 10 consecutive years, not to you. Sell it and buy another home, and the new home has to earn its own 10 years. The temporary 2025-2026 bridge for senior movers ends after tax year 2026 under Senate Bill 26-116, signed June 2, 2026.
Sources: Colorado Division of Property Taxation (Senior Property Tax Exemption and Senior Primary Residence Classification pages), City and County of Broomfield Assessor (Property Tax Exemption and Deferral Programs page and Senior Exemption Long Form), Colorado General Assembly (SB26-116 and HCR25-1001 with its fiscal note). Checked September 30, 2026.
By Nick Ahrens | September 30, 2026
Most 65-plus sellers in Anthem, Anthem Ranch, and the rest of Broomfield find out about this the hard way: on their first tax bill at the new place. Nick Ahrens, a Broomfield listing agent with eXp Realty, puts the exemption on the table before a downsizing seller signs a listing agreement, because it is one of the few costs of moving that never shows up on a settlement statement. Here is how the rule works, what changed in 2026, and how to decide whether it should change your timing.
What this guide does not cover: the disabled veteran or Gold Star spouse exemptions, the state property tax deferral program, Broomfield's income-qualified partial property tax refund, or capital gains and income tax on your sale. For those, talk to the Broomfield Assessor's office or a CPA.
How much is the Colorado senior exemption worth?
Up to $100,000 of your home's actual value is exempt. The Division of Property Taxation says the program exempts 50% of the first $200,000 of actual value. The Broomfield Assessor gives the simple version: a home valued at $200,000 would be taxed as if it were worth $100,000. The legislature's fiscal note on the 2025 portability proposal gives a higher-value example: a $500,000 home is taxed as if it were worth $400,000.
Because the exempt amount tops out at $100,000, the break is the same for a $700,000 Anthem Highlands home as for a $1.2 million one. What that $100,000 saves you in dollars depends on the residential assessment rate and the mill levies on your parcel, including any metro district. Your Broomfield property tax notice shows both, and the Assessor can tell you your exact figure. We did not estimate a single Broomfield-wide dollar amount here because levies vary by district.
Who qualifies for the senior exemption in Broomfield?
You have to meet three tests, per the Broomfield Assessor and the state:
Age: you are at least 65 on January 1 of the year you apply.
Ownership: you or your spouse have been the owner of record for at least 10 consecutive years before January 1.
Occupancy: you have lived in the home as your primary residence for those same 10 consecutive years.
For the 2026 tax year, the state spells it out: you must have been born on or before January 1, 1961, and owned and occupied the home since January 1, 2016, or earlier. You apply once, between January 1 and July 15, and the Assessor must still accept late applications through August 15, though late filers lose their appeal rights. Once approved, the exemption stays in place as long as ownership and occupancy do not change. An individual or a married couple can claim it on only one property.
What happens to the exemption when you sell?
It stays behind. The exemption is tied to that property's ownership and occupancy, so it ends when you sell, and the Broomfield form requires you to tell the Assessor about a change in ownership or occupancy within 60 days. The buyer does not inherit it either, unless they qualify on their own.
Your new home starts at year zero. Buy a smaller place in Broomfield, Westminster, or Erie at 68, and under the current rules you would not qualify there until you have owned and lived in it for 10 consecutive years.
The state's Long Form lists the only exceptions to the 10-year occupancy rule:
You or your spouse are or were confined to a hospital, nursing home, or assisted living facility.
Your prior home was condemned in an eminent domain proceeding, or sold to a government entity under threat of one.
Your prior home was destroyed by a natural disaster.
Moving the home into a trust, corporate partnership, or other entity solely for estate planning does not break ownership, per the same form. Downsizing by choice is not on the exception list.
What changed for senior movers in 2026?
The temporary fix is ending. For tax years 2025 and 2026 only, Colorado offered a "Qualified Senior Primary Residence" classification for seniors who received the exemption in 2020 or later at a prior home and lost it by moving. It gave similar relief at the new home. Two facts close that door for anyone selling now:
The 2026 window has closed. The state's 2026 application period ran from January 1 to March 15, with late filing through July 15, and you had to own and live in the new home as of January 1, 2026.
There is no 2027 version. SB26-116, signed June 2, 2026, ends the classification for property tax years starting on or after January 1, 2027.
A permanent fix has not passed. HCR25-1001, a 2025 resolution that would have asked voters to let seniors carry the exemption to a new home starting in 2027, was postponed indefinitely in a House committee on February 24, 2025. If the legislature revisits portability later, the rules could change, so check the Division of Property Taxation's page before you decide.
Should you sell now or stay put? Choose if...
Choose to stay put for now if you already have the exemption, the home still works for your health and budget, and the main reason to move is a smaller house rather than a need.
Choose to sell anyway if the move frees up equity, cuts maintenance, or puts you closer to family or care in a way that clearly outweighs the tax break. Price it with real numbers, starting with what you will actually net selling a Broomfield home.
Choose to wait until you hit year 10 if you are 65 or close to it and only a year or two short of 10 years in the home. Qualifying first does not help you carry it to a new home, but it does lower your bill for every year you stay.
Choose to talk to the Assessor before listing if you or your spouse are moving into assisted living, a nursing home, or a hospital stay, because confinement is one of the listed occupancy exceptions.
Choose to keep the home and rent it out only if you understand you lose the exemption the moment it stops being your primary residence. Selling versus renting out your Broomfield home walks through that trade-off.
How do you plan a downsizing sale around the exemption?
Do the tax math before you pick a list date, not after you close. Here is the order Nick Ahrens uses with Broomfield sellers who are 65 or older:
Confirm your status. Check your Broomfield property tax notice or call the Assessor at 303-464-5819 to confirm the senior exemption is on your parcel.
Put a dollar figure on it. Ask the Assessor or use your tax notice to see what the exempt $100,000 of value saves you each year at your current levies.
Price the new home's full tax bill. Look up the new property's actual value and levies, including any metro district, with no exemption applied. For new-build areas, Broomfield property taxes, mill levies, and metro districts explains what to look for.
Line up the sale and purchase. Decide whether you will buy first, sell first, or ask for a rent-back. Buying before you sell in Broomfield lays out the options.
Notify the Assessor within 60 days. After closing, report the change in ownership and occupancy on the home you sold.
Mark your new 10-year date. Write down the date 10 years after you move in, and plan to apply between January 1 and July 15 after you qualify, unless the rules change first.
If a 55-plus community is on your list, what to know before buying in Anthem Ranch covers HOA and lifestyle questions to weigh alongside the tax change.
Talk through your move with Nick
If you are 65 or older and weighing a sale in Anthem, Broomfield, or North Denver, call or text Nick Ahrens at 949-230-3625. He will walk through your timeline, your likely net, and what your property tax bill looks like on both sides of the move before you commit to a list date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I transfer my senior exemption to my new home in Colorado?
Not under current law. The exemption requires 10 consecutive years of ownership and occupancy at the home you claim it on. The temporary Qualified Senior Primary Residence classification covered movers only for 2025 and 2026, and SB26-116 ends it for tax years starting January 1, 2027.
Does the buyer of my home get my senior exemption?
No. The exemption is tied to a qualifying owner who lives in the home. A buyer gets it only if they qualify on their own, which requires 10 years of ownership and occupancy.
I moved into a new home in 2025. Is it too late to get the senior classification?
For tax year 2026, yes. The Division of Property Taxation's 2026 window ran from January 1 to March 15, with late applications accepted through July 15, and SB26-116 ends the classification for 2027 and later.
Do I lose the exemption if I put my Broomfield home in a trust?
Not if the transfer is solely for estate planning. The state's Long Form lists transfers to a trust, corporate partnership, or other legal entity for estate planning purposes as an exception to the ownership requirement. You must use the Long Form and give the trust details.
What if I move into assisted living but keep the house?
Confinement to a hospital, nursing home, or assisted living facility is one of the listed exceptions to the occupancy requirement. Confirm how it applies to your situation with the Broomfield Assessor before you sell or rent the home.
About Nick Ahrens Nick Ahrens is a Colorado real estate broker with eXp Realty, specializing in the Anthem and Baseline communities of Broomfield (80023). With 15+ years in the business and 350+ career closings, he helps North Denver sellers and relocating buyers navigate pricing, timing, and the path to closing. Connect with Nick at youranthemhome.com.
