Quick answer: On a $750,000 Arvada 80002 home at Freddie Mac's 7.32% average, 20% down costs about $4,122 a month in principal and interest. Putting 10% down keeps $75,000 in your account, but the payment rises to about $4,637 plus roughly $158 of PMI at a 760+ score, about $673 more a month.
By Katerina Veteskova, Colorado real estate broker license FA.100082955, eXp Realty, LLC
Twenty percent down is a rule of thumb, not a rule. Conventional lenders accept less with private mortgage insurance (PMI); the question is what keeping that cash costs and for how long.
Every figure here uses a $750,000 purchase, a 30-year fixed loan and 7.32%, the Freddie Mac PMMS 30-year average as of October 22, 2026, which was still the latest weekly print when I checked on October 28, 2026. Payments are principal and interest plus PMI only, from my own arithmetic.
How much more a month is 10% down on a $750,000 Arvada 80002 home?
About $673 a month at a 760+ credit score, and about $825 at a 700 to 719 score.
A $750,000 price sits inside the Arvada $700K to $1M search, and the zipcode has its own 80002 Arvada homes from $700K search. Side by side:
- 20% down: $150,000 cash, a $600,000 loan, about $4,122 a month, no PMI
- 10% down: $75,000 cash, a $675,000 loan, about $4,637 a month before PMI
- PMI on the 10% loan: about $158 a month at 760+, or about $309 at 700 to 719
What does PMI cost on a 10%-down Arvada loan?
Roughly 0.28% to 0.65% of the loan a year for most credit scores from 680 up, or about $158 to $366 a month on $675,000.
At exactly 90% loan-to-value, Fannie Mae's coverage rules set standard coverage at 25% for a fixed loan longer than 20 years. Radian, a mortgage insurer, posts its archived standard rate cards for reference, and its monthly card for that coverage lists these annual rates:
- 760 or higher: 0.28%, about $158 a month
- 740 to 759: 0.38%, about $214
- 720 to 739: 0.46%, about $259
- 700 to 719: 0.55%, about $309
- 680 to 699: 0.65%, about $366
Treat these as a scale, not a quote; insurers now price most loans through quote engines, so your number can differ.
Get new Arvada homes from $700K
Email me new Arvada listings from $700,000 as soon as they hit the market, so I can price 10% and 20% down before I tour.
When does PMI come off a 10%-down loan?
You can ask to cancel it at month 104, about 8 years and 8 months in, and it must end on its own at month 119, about 9 years and 11 months in.
Those dates come from the original schedule. Under the federal rules the CFPB explains, you can request cancellation in writing once the balance is scheduled to hit 80% of the original value, here $600,000, if your payments are current and the value has not dropped. The servicer must drop it automatically at 78%, or $585,000. Fannie Mae's servicing rules set the same 78% date for its loans.
At a 760+ score and about $158 a month, PMI would cost about $16,380 by month 104 and about $18,743 by month 119. At 700 to 719 the totals are about $32,175 and $36,816.
Can a higher Arvada value remove PMI sooner?
Yes, but only if the value climbs: after two years the loan must be at 75% or less of a new valuation, and after five years at 80% or less.
After 24 payments the balance is about $661,623, so the home would need to value near $882,163, about 17.6% above the price. After month 61 the 80% test needs a value near $795,957, about 6.1% higher.
Redfin's 80002 numbers do not promise that climb. The median sale price was $577,330 over the three months ending September 2026, down 0.021% from a year earlier, and the median price per square foot of $304 was down 11.5%. These are zipcode figures, not Arvada-wide numbers.
What does the extra $75,000 of loan really cost?
About $7,356 in the first year, or about 9.8% of the $75,000, at a 760+ score.
That is about $5,466 of extra interest plus $1,890 of PMI in year one. If the cash would sit in savings, compare that 9.8% with what it earns; if it covers closing costs, a reserve or needed work, keeping it can be worth it.
Five percent down shows the same math one step further: a $712,500 loan at about $4,894, plus about $226 of PMI at 760+ under the 30% coverage Fannie Mae sets above 90% loan-to-value. That is about $998 a month more than 20% down.
Is a $750,000 Arvada loan conforming in 2026?
Yes: under the FHFA 2026 conforming loan limit of $862,500 in both Jefferson and Adams counties, a $675,000 loan has about $187,500 of room.
With 10% down, that limit covers prices up to about $958,333, so most of the Arvada $700K to $1M range still fits. Above that, the down payment has to grow or the loan becomes a jumbo, which is outside this guide.
Should you put 10% or 20% down in Arvada?
Put 20% down when the cash would otherwise sit idle, and put 10% down when keeping $75,000 liquid does a real job for you.
Choose 20% down if:
- You have the $150,000 and still keep a solid reserve after closing
- Your credit score is under 720, where PMI climbs past about $259 a month
- You want the lowest payment, about $4,122, from day one
Choose 10% down if:
- The $75,000 covers closing costs, a reserve or near-term work on the home
- Your score is 760 or higher and PMI is near $158
- You expect to pay extra principal and reach 80% ahead of month 104
Which Arvada and nearby searches fit a $750,000 budget?
Start with Arvada homes from $700K or the 80002 Arvada homes from $700K search, then compare Arvada homes from $1.2M if your budget grows. Nearby, try 80033 Wheat Ridge homes from $700K, Wheat Ridge $700K to $1M, Golden $700K to $1M, Lakewood $700K to $1M or Edgewater $700K to $1M.
North of Arvada, look at 80031 Westminster homes from $700K and Westminster $700K to $1M. For a wider net, the Front Range $700K to $1M search covers the region. Moving up from a home you own? My trading up page covers that path.
Broker view: "When an Arvada buyer asks me whether to put 20% down, I set the $673 monthly gap next to what that $75,000 would do in the bank. With a strong score and a real use for the cash, 10% down can make sense; if the money would sit idle, I lean toward 20%." - Katerina Veteskova, eXp Realty, LLC
What this guide does not cover: FHA, VA and CHFA loans, lender-paid and single-premium PMI, piggyback second loans, jumbo loans, loan-level price adjustments, property tax, homeowners insurance, HOA or metro district dues, and closing costs. I can run the PMI math for a specific Arvada listing with your lender's quote.
Sources: Freddie Mac PMMS weekly 30-year fixed average, 7.32% as of October 22, 2026. Fannie Mae Selling Guide B7-1-02 and Servicing Guide B-8.1-04. CFPB, When can I remove PMI from my loan. Radian Guaranty archived standard BPMI monthly rate card, effective November 1, 2021. FHFA county loan limit file for 2026. Redfin 80002 zipcode housing market page, three months ending September 2026, checked October 28, 2026. Payment, balance, PMI and timing figures are my own arithmetic from those numbers.
Weighing 10% against 20% down on an Arvada home? Call or text 720-646-4685, or request a tour.
Frequently asked questions
How much is PMI on a $675,000 Arvada loan with 10% down?
On Radian's archived standard monthly card, a 25% coverage policy at 90% loan-to-value runs 0.28% a year with a 760+ score, about $158 a month, and 0.55% at 700 to 719, about $309. Your lender's live quote sets the real number.
When does PMI come off a 10%-down loan on a $750,000 home?
On the original schedule at 7.32%, you can ask to cancel it at month 104, when the balance reaches $600,000, or 80% of the price. It must end automatically at month 119, when the balance reaches $585,000, or 78%.
Is 20% down required to buy a $750,000 home in Arvada?
No. A conventional loan with 10% down is allowed with mortgage insurance, and a $675,000 loan is under the $862,500 conforming limit for 2026 in both Jefferson and Adams counties.
Can rising Arvada values remove PMI early?
Sometimes. Fannie Mae lets you ask after two years if a new valuation puts the loan at 75% or less, which here means a value near $882,163, or at 80% after five years, near $795,957.
Katerina Veteskova is a Colorado real estate broker (license FA.100082955) with eXp Realty, LLC. Call or text 720-646-4685, or request a tour.
