Quick answer: On a $750,000 Lakewood 80226 home with 20% down at 7.18%, principal and interest is about $4,065 a month. Fannie Mae Desktop Underwriter sets no minimum reserves for a one-unit primary home, two months for a second home (about $8,129 of P&I alone), and six months for an investment property (about $24,388).
By Katerina Veteskova, Colorado real estate broker license FA.100082955, eXp Realty, LLC
Buyers in Lakewood often ask me how much cash must stay in the bank after closing, not just how much goes on the wire. The answer depends on occupancy and how Desktop Underwriter reads the file, so this guide runs one clear example.
The example is a $750,000 purchase in the 80226 zipcode with 20% down, or $150,000, and a $600,000 30-year fixed loan.
What are mortgage reserves after a Lakewood closing?
Cash and near-cash assets that remain after you fund the purchase.
The Fannie Mae Selling Guide calls these liquid financial reserves. They are counted in months of the qualifying payment for the subject loan, and money spent to close is removed before the reserve count starts.
How much is principal and interest on this $600,000 loan at 7.18%?
Roughly $4,065 each month for principal and interest.
Principal and interest here uses the 30-year fixed average Freddie Mac reported as of November 5, 2026, down from 7.24% a week earlier. Your full PITIA payment also includes taxes, insurance and any association dues, so reserve dollars can run higher than a P&I multiple.
The loan sits under the one-unit conforming limit of $862,500 for Jefferson County in the FHFA 2026 county loan limit file, so it is not a jumbo loan.
How many months of reserves does Desktop Underwriter require?
None for a one-unit primary home, two months for a second home, and six months for an investment property.
Fannie Mae also applies the six-month floor to a two- to four-unit principal residence and to a cash-out refinance with a DTI ratio above 45%. DU may still ask for more after it scores the whole file.
Email me Lakewood listings from $700,000
Email me new Lakewood listings from $700,000 as they come on the market, so I can plan cash to close and post-closing reserves before I write an offer.
What do 2 and 6 months of reserves look like in dollars?
About $8,129 and about $24,388 using principal and interest alone on this loan.
Those figures are my amortization on the $600,000 balance at 7.18%. Add taxes, insurance and dues before you treat them as a final underwriting number, because Fannie Mae sizes reserves off PITIA, not P&I alone. See monthly housing expense for how that payment is built.
Plan on documenting reserves if:
- The purchase is a second home or an investment property
- You are buying a two- to four-unit principal residence
- DU or your lender lists a reserve condition on the approval
Expect no DU minimum if:
- The home is a one-unit principal residence
- You still keep enough cash after closing to handle the first months of ownership
- Your lender has not added an overlay beyond the Selling Guide floor
What assets can count as reserves?
Vested, withdrawable cash and investments, and some gift funds.
Fannie Mae lists checking and savings, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, certificates of deposit, money market and trust accounts, vested retirement balances, and the cash value of a vested life insurance policy. Eligible gift funds may also satisfy a reserve requirement. Unsecured personal loans, rent-back credit, lender contributions, cash-out refinance proceeds on the subject property, and interested party contributions cannot.
What if I already own other financed properties?
Extra reserves apply when the new loan is a second home or an investment property.
Fannie Mae adds 2%, 4% or 6% of the unpaid balances on those other financed properties, based on whether you have one to four, five to six, or seven to ten financed properties. The subject loan and your principal residence are left out of that unpaid-balance math.
Is $750,000 a realistic price in 80226?
It sits above the recent 80226 median, and it fits the Living Lakewood search floors from $700,000.
For the three months ending September 2026, Redfin showed an 80226 median near $535K, about 39 days to sale, and a 97.8% sale-to-list ratio. Browse live Lakewood inventory in the Lakewood homes from $700K, Lakewood 80226 homes from $700K and Lakewood $700K to $1M searches, plus Lakewood homes from $1,200,000 for higher list prices.
Which nearby Living searches fit a $750,000 Lakewood budget?
Next door, compare Wheat Ridge homes from $700K, Wheat Ridge 80033 homes from $700K and Wheat Ridge $700K to $1M, then Edgewater homes from $700K, Edgewater 80214 homes from $700K and Edgewater $700K to $1M.
North and west, open Arvada homes from $700K, Arvada $700K to $1M and Golden homes from $700K. South, scan Littleton homes from $700K. Scan the Front Range $700K to $1M cut for the wider metro. For a move-up path open trading up from $700,000 toward $1,200,000 and above; for a first purchase on the Jefferson County side start with first home in Jefferson County.
Broker view: "When buyers ask me about reserves, I want the cash that remains after closing to match the occupancy DU will score, not just the down payment wire. Leaving a thin account after a primary purchase is common; leaving a thin account on a second home or investment file is how approvals stall." - Katerina Veteskova, eXp Realty, LLC
What this guide does not cover: exact Lakewood property tax, insurance or HOA dollar amounts, FHA and VA reserve rules, jumbo pricing, manual underwriting grids, lender overlays beyond Desktop Underwriter, discount points, lender credits, and using seller credits as reserves. This is not financial advice, and your lender can confirm the reserve condition on your approval.
Sources: Freddie Mac PMMS 7.18% 30-year fixed dated November 5, 2026 (week-earlier figure appears in the payment section). Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-4.1-01 minimum reserves, B3-4.3-04 personal gifts, B3-4.1-02 interested party contributions, and B3-6-03 monthly housing expense, checked November 6, 2026. FHFA 2026 one-unit limit for Jefferson County. Redfin 80226 market snapshot for the three months ending September 2026. Monthly P&I and multi-month reserve dollars are my amortization on a $600,000 loan, for illustration only.
Planning a Lakewood purchase near $750,000? Call or text 720-646-4685, or request a tour.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need reserves on a one-unit primary home in Lakewood?
Under Fannie Mae Desktop Underwriter, there is no minimum reserve requirement for a one-unit principal residence. Your lender can still ask for more based on the overall file, so confirm the reserve line on your Loan Estimate and underwriting conditions.
How are reserve months calculated?
Fannie Mae measures reserves as months of the qualifying payment for the subject mortgage, based on PITIA (principal, interest, taxes, insurance and association dues when they apply). Funds used to close are subtracted before anything left counts as reserves.
Can gift money count toward reserves?
Yes, when the gift meets Fannie Mae personal-gift rules. The Selling Guide notes that eligible gift funds may satisfy reserve requirements, but a gift of equity may not. Seller credits and other interested party contributions cannot be counted as reserves.
What if I already own other financed properties?
If the new loan is a second home or an investment property, Fannie Mae adds reserves equal to 2%, 4% or 6% of the unpaid balances on those other financed properties, based on how many you have. The subject loan and your principal residence are left out of that unpaid-balance total.
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.