Assumable Mortgage Security-Widefield Colorado: Fort Carson's Enlisted Buyers Locked In Rates That Are Now on the Market
Security-Widefield is not a name that shows up in most real estate marketing. It is not as flashy as Monument. It does not have the brand recognition of Fountain. But for buyers who understand assumable mortgages, it is one of the most interesting submarkets in all of El Paso County.
Here is why: Security-Widefield is unincorporated El Paso County, two miles from Fort Carson's main gate. Homes here priced in the $280,000 to $380,000 range are exactly what BAH-eligible enlisted soldiers and junior officers could afford in 2019 through 2022 using VA loans. Those buyers locked in rates between 2.5% and 3.5%. Many of them are now past their typical 2-3 year rotation cycle, heading to new duty stations, separating, or moving up.
That means assumable VA loans are coming onto the market in a zip code that gets almost no attention for this opportunity.
If you are shopping for a home in the 80911 or 80925 zip codes and you have not researched assumable mortgages yet, you are paying full retail for a problem that has a solution.
Why Security-Widefield Has Concentrated Assumable Inventory
The VA loan concentration in Security-Widefield is not accidental. It comes down to proximity and price point.
Fort Carson is home to the 4th Infantry Division, the 10th Special Forces Group, the 43rd Sustainment Brigade, and several other units. Active duty strength hovers around 25,000 soldiers and their families. The median home price in the Fort Carson catchment zone during the 2020-2022 buying window was roughly $300,000 to $370,000 in Security-Widefield. That is squarely within the range where a mid-career enlisted soldier or a junior officer with full VA loan entitlement could purchase without a down payment.
The result: a high percentage of homes sold in Security-Widefield during that window were purchased with VA loans.
Rotation cycles at Fort Carson run shorter than at Peterson Space Force Base or the Air Force Academy. Enlisted Army soldiers often move on 2-to-3-year timelines. The servicemembers who bought in 2020 and 2021 are already past their first rotation. Some are separating from the military entirely. Some are PCSing to Fort Bragg, Fort Campbell, or Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Their homes are hitting the market now, and the loans attached to those homes are fully assumable.
What Makes a VA Loan Assumable
Every single VA loan has an assumption clause written into the loan documents. This is not a negotiation. It is a legal right established by federal law. When a VA loan seller puts their home on the market, any qualified buyer, veteran or not, can apply to assume that loan and take over the existing balance at the existing interest rate.
The lender processes the assumption as a new qualification review. You need to meet income, debt-to-income, and credit requirements, similar to getting a new loan. But the rate you qualify at is the rate on the original loan, not today's rate. That is the entire value proposition.
When a Fort Carson soldier bought a home in Security-Widefield in February 2021 using a VA loan at 2.875%, that rate is locked into the mortgage for the life of the loan. If you assume that loan today, you are borrowing at 2.875% on whatever the remaining balance is. That has nothing to do with current market rates, the Fed, or anything in today's economic environment.
The Math in Security-Widefield
Let me run a real example at Security-Widefield price points.
A home in the 80911 zip code. Listed at $340,000. The seller, a Staff Sergeant who PCSed out of Fort Carson, bought the home in spring 2021. Remaining loan balance: approximately $272,000. Interest rate on the VA loan: 2.75%.
Monthly payment on the assumed loan: $272,000 at 2.75% over the remaining 25 years comes to approximately $1,255 per month principal and interest.
Same property, new conventional mortgage: $340,000 purchase price, 5% down ($17,000), $323,000 loan at 6.75%, 30-year term comes to approximately $2,096 per month principal and interest.
The equity gap on this property is $68,000 (the difference between the $340,000 purchase price and the $272,000 remaining loan balance). In Security-Widefield, equity gaps tend to be smaller than in Monument or north Colorado Springs because purchase prices during the buying window were lower. A $68,000 equity gap is manageable. You might cover $25,000 with cash and take a gap loan for the remaining $43,000. A 10-year gap loan at 8% adds roughly $521 per month to your carrying cost.
Total monthly cost with assumption plus gap loan: approximately $1,776 per month. Total monthly cost with new conventional: approximately $2,096 per month.
That is a $320 per month savings every single month for as long as you hold the loan. Over a 10-year horizon, that is $38,400 back in your pocket. Over 20 years, it is north of $75,000.
And this example uses a conservative rate from the 2021 window. Loans originated in 2020 or early 2021 came in at 2.25% to 2.625%. If the seller bought in that window, the savings are even larger.
Security-Widefield vs. Fountain: What Is the Difference
A lot of buyers who come to me have already heard about Fountain for assumable mortgages. Fountain is real. The VA loan density there is high and the equity gaps are accessible. But Security-Widefield offers something slightly different.
Security-Widefield is closer to Fort Carson's main gate, which matters for buyers who work on post. The commute from Security-Widefield to the 1st Brigade Combat Team area or the 4th ID headquarters is shorter than from most of Fountain proper.
Security-Widefield also has more commercial infrastructure directly accessible without going through Colorado Springs. The Widefield corridor along US 85-87 has grocery, medical, and retail options. For military families who moved here and want the convenience of that corridor, Security-Widefield often beats Fountain on pure logistics.
The home inventory also trends slightly newer in parts of Security-Widefield versus the older Fountain stock. Buyers who want a home built in the 2000s or 2010s often find more options here.
Neither market is better overall. They serve different preferences. But both have strong assumable inventory right now, and most buyers are not looking at either one for this specific opportunity.
What the Non-Veteran Rule Means for You
One of the most common misconceptions I hear about VA loan assumptions is that you have to be a veteran to assume one. This is wrong.
VA loans can be assumed by any qualified buyer, including civilians with no military service. The VA entitlement question is separate from the assumption question. When a non-veteran assumes a VA loan, the seller does not get their VA entitlement restored automatically. That is a conversation worth having during the transaction. But it does not prevent the assumption from happening.
For veterans assuming a VA loan from another veteran, there is an option to substitute entitlement. The assuming veteran provides their own entitlement to replace the seller's. The seller's entitlement is fully restored. Both parties come out clean.
If you are a civilian buyer looking at Security-Widefield, a VA loan assumption is still very much on the table. You just need to work with an agent who knows how to structure the entitlement piece correctly and set expectations with the seller upfront.
The FHA Inventory in Security-Widefield
Not every entry-level home in Security-Widefield was purchased with a VA loan. A segment of the inventory from 2019-2022 used FHA loans, particularly for buyers without military service who purchased at the lower end of the price range.
FHA loans are also fully assumable under federal law. Every FHA loan has assumption language written into the loan documents. The qualification process works similarly to VA assumption: you apply with the current lender, go through income and credit review, and take over the existing balance at the existing rate.
FHA loans from 2020-2021 were also locking in at historically low rates. A 3.25% FHA loan on a $290,000 Security-Widefield home from 2021 represents real savings against today's conventional rates.
The difference with FHA is the mortgage insurance premium. FHA loans carry ongoing MIP, and when you assume an FHA loan, you step into that MIP structure. It is a cost worth modeling before you commit, but for most buyers the rate savings still more than offset the insurance cost.
How to Find Assumable Homes in Security-Widefield
The MLS does not have a checkbox for "assumable." Neither does Zillow. Most listing agents do not mention assumption in the description even when the home has an assumable VA or FHA loan. The only way to identify assumable inventory is to know what to look for.
Any home listed with an FHA or VA loan in the seller disclosure is assumable. That information is in the listing documents, but you have to know to ask for it. Most buyers' agents do not know to ask for it, which is why most buyers walk past assumable inventory every day without realizing the opportunity.
When you work with me, identifying assumable properties in your target price range and zip code is part of the search process. We look at all active listings in Security-Widefield, Widefield, and the surrounding area, pull the loan types, and filter for FHA and VA. Then we look at the vintage of the loan to estimate whether the rate is worth pursuing.
This is not complicated. It just requires an agent who is actually looking for it.
The PCS Market Is Active Right Now
Fort Carson typically processes the largest volume of PCS moves in the spring and early summer. Orders get cut in late winter, families start listing homes in March through May, and the buying window opens up alongside them.
You are reading this at the right time of year. The Security-Widefield assumable inventory that has been building since 2022 is moving to market in real time. Soldiers who bought in 2020 and 2021 and got extended assignments are now in their second or third rotation cycle. The urgency of a PCS move means sellers are motivated. They need to close before they have to report to their next duty station.
Motivated sellers with assumable loans in a low-equity-gap market. That is as good as it gets in this environment.
What to Expect on Timeline
Assumption transactions take longer than conventional purchases. The current lender has to approve the assumption, review your qualifications, and process the substitution of borrower. Count on 45 to 75 days from accepted offer to close.
That is not a dealbreaker. It just means you start the process with realistic expectations. Sellers who are PCSing know the timeline because they have been through the VA loan process before. They understand the delay. The key is getting the paperwork moving immediately after acceptance and staying on top of the lender.
I have closed enough assumption transactions in Colorado Springs to know which lenders move efficiently and which ones stall. That experience matters when you are working against a PCS deadline.
Next Steps
If you are looking to buy in Security-Widefield, Widefield, or anywhere in the Fort Carson catchment zone in El Paso County, reach out before you start touring homes. The search strategy for assumable inventory is different from a conventional home search. Knowing what to look for before you write an offer saves time and money.
Call or text me directly at (719) 624-3472. Or submit your information at assumableguy.com and I will reach out within the hour during business hours.
The assumable inventory in Security-Widefield is real. The savings are real. Most buyers just do not know it exists.
Now you do.
Ryan Thomson is a licensed Colorado real estate agent and founder of The Assumable Guy. He has helped over 90 clients close on assumable mortgages across the Colorado Front Range, saving buyers a combined $25 million or more in total interest costs. He specializes in VA and FHA loan assumptions in El Paso County and surrounding markets.