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(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, produce any right or advantage, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any celebration versus the United States, its departments, firms, or entities, its officers, staff members, or agents, or any other person. (d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of the Treasury.
TRUMP THE WHITE HOUSE, March 13, 2026.
CalHFA provides California first-time buyers four working assistance programs in 2026: MyHome (approximately 3.5% of the rate for down payment or closing expenses), ZIP (2% to 3% in zero-interest closing expense assistance), MyAccess (a 2.5% deferred loan), and Dream For All (as much as 20% of the rate, topped at $150,000, for first-generation buyers).
The catch is eligibility: your certifying income should clear your county's 2026 limitation, one customer requires a homebuyer education certificate, and MyHome and Dream For All both require newbie purchaser status. Dream For All is closed since July 2026, while MyHome and ZIP remain open year-round. This page lays out each program with the 2026 numbers, pulled from the agency's published limits and loan provider matrices.
Absolutely nothing sours a buyer much faster than checking out in 2015's program that stopped taking applications. Free assessment Inform us your county, credit, and rough cost variety. We'll examine your earnings versus the existing 2026 table and inform you which state programs your file really supports, at no charge. 4 programs, one quick comparison.
Here is how they line up. ProgramWhat it coversAmountInterestKey requirementDown payment or closing costs3.5% (FHA), 3% (standard, VA, USDA)Simple interest, deferredFirst-time purchaser; any CalHFA first mortgageClosing costs only2% or 3% of the very 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 novice buyer; window-basedEvery row is a deferred junior loan.
CalHFA is the California Housing Financing Agency, and it has funded homes given that 1975. That financing model is why its core programs remain open year after year while grant-funded programs come and go.
The company never ever lends to you straight. A CalHFA-approved private lender stems the loan, through loan officers the state has trained. The loan officer matters.
No application season, no lotto, no race against a funding pool that empties mid-year. That dependability 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 firm's own term for a second mortgage with no monthly payments.
On traditional, VA, and USDA loans the cap is 3%. The statewide mean home ran approximately $930,000 in May 2026, per the California Association of Realtors. Versus that cost the FHA version deserves more than $30,000 of assistance. One correction, due to the fact that lots of pages get this incorrect and an older version of this one did too.
The program handbook specifies it as a simple-interest loan. Absolutely nothing leaves your pocket month to month. The balance you eventually repay is principal plus accumulated easy interest. ZIP is the truly zero-interest program. MyHome sits in 2nd lien position behind your first mortgage. The combined loan-to-value of whatever stacked on the home can not exceed 105%.
Lenders call these "quiet seconds" due to the fact that the junior loan makes no monthly need on your spending plan. Your housing expense is just the very first mortgage, taxes, and insurance coverage.
For a lot of buyers that beats draining cost savings at closing. The deferred balance grows gradually, and California equity has actually traditionally grown quicker, though no one can assure that pattern for any given year or area. ZIP stands for Zero Interest Program. It is closing expense assistance in its purest kind. The loan equals 2% or 3% of your very first home loan, and it charges no interest.
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