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(c) This order is not planned to, and does not, produce any right or advantage, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, companies, or entities, its officers, employees, or representatives, or any other person. (d) The expenses for publication of this order will be borne by the Department of the Treasury.
TRUMP THE WHITE HOME, March 13, 2026.
CalHFA provides California first-time purchasers four working support programs in 2026: MyHome (up to 3.5% of the cost for down payment or closing expenses), ZIP (2% to 3% in zero-interest closing expense aid), MyAccess (a 2.5% delayed loan), and Dream For All (as much as 20% of the cost, capped at $150,000, for first-generation purchasers).
The catch is eligibility: your certifying earnings should clear your county's 2026 limit, one debtor needs a homebuyer education certificate, and MyHome and Dream For All both need novice buyer status. Dream For All is closed as of July 2026, while MyHome and ZIP stay open year-round. This page lays out each program with the 2026 numbers, pulled from the company's released limits and lender matrices.
Nothing sours a purchaser much faster than reading about last year's program that stopped taking applications. We'll examine your income against the present 2026 table and inform you which state programs your file actually supports, at no expense.
Here is how they line up. ProgramWhat it coversAmountInterestKey requirementDown payment or closing costs3.5% (FHA), 3% (traditional, VA, USDA)Simple interest, deferredFirst-time purchaser; any CalHFA first mortgageClosing costs only2% or 3% of the first mortgageZero interestCalPLUS first mortgageDown payment or closing costs2.5% of the loan amountDeferredCalPLUS Access initially, matched with MyHomeDown payment or closing costsUp to 20% of price, max $150,000 Shared appreciationFirst-generation and newbie purchaser; window-basedEvery row is a deferred junior loan.
The rest of this page strolls each one in information. CalHFA is the California Real Estate Finance Firm, and it has funded homes given that 1975. It is self-supporting instead of taxpayer-funded. The company offers bonds and provides the proceeds. That funding model is why its core programs stay open every year while grant-funded programs come and go.
Refinancing Versus Modifying Your Current Home LoanHere is the part most purchasers miss. The company never lends to you directly. A CalHFA-approved personal loan provider comes from the loan, through loan officers the state has actually trained. So the loan officer matters. One who rarely touches these files will not know which pairings fit your situation. The bond-funded core runs constantly.
No application season, no lottery, no race against a funding pool that clears mid-year. That reliability pays off when you prepare months ahead. Dream For All is the exception, and we cover its window-based truth below. MyHome is a deferred-payment junior loan, the agency's own term for a second mortgage without any monthly payments.
On traditional, VA, and USDA loans the cap is 3%. The statewide average home ran roughly $930,000 in May 2026, per the California Association of Realtors. Against that rate the FHA variation deserves more than $30,000 of assistance. One correction, since plenty of pages get this incorrect and an older version of this one did too.
The program handbook defines it as a simple-interest loan. ZIP is the really zero-interest program. MyHome sits in second lien position behind your first home mortgage.
Purchasers who desire assistance that forgives instead of postponing must compare the Elite Grant, which forgives in just 6 to 36 months on certifying FHA files. Lenders call these "quiet seconds" due to the fact that the junior loan makes no monthly need on your budget plan. Your housing expense is simply the first mortgage, taxes, and insurance.
Refinancing Versus Modifying Your Current Home LoanFor a lot of buyers that beats draining pipes cost savings at closing. The deferred balance grows slowly, and California equity has actually historically grown quicker, though nobody can assure that pattern for any given year or area. ZIP represents Zero Interest Program. It is closing expense help in its purest kind. The loan equates to 2% or 3% of your first mortgage, and it charges no interest.
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