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(c) This order is not meant to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party versus the United States, its departments, firms, or entities, its officers, workers, or agents, or any other individual. (d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of the Treasury.
TRUMP THE WHITE HOME, March 13, 2026.
CalHFA gives California first-time purchasers four working help programs in 2026: MyHome (approximately 3.5% of the price for down payment or closing costs), ZIP (2% to 3% in zero-interest closing expense assistance), MyAccess (a 2.5% postponed loan), and Dream For All (as much as 20% of the rate, capped at $150,000, for first-generation purchasers).
The catch is eligibility: your qualifying income must clear your county's 2026 limit, one customer requires a property buyer education certificate, and MyHome and Dream For All both require novice purchaser 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 firm's published limitations and lending institution matrices.
Absolutely nothing sours a purchaser quicker than checking out about last year's program that stopped taking applications. We'll check your earnings against the present 2026 table and inform you which state programs your file in fact supports, at no expense.
Here is how they line up. ProgramWhat it coversAmountInterestKey requirementDown payment or closing costs3.5% (FHA), 3% (conventional, VA, USDA)Basic interest, deferredFirst-time purchaser; any CalHFA initially mortgageClosing costs only2% or 3% of the very first mortgageZero interestCalPLUS first mortgageDown payment or closing costs2.5% of the loan amountDeferredCalPLUS Gain access to initially, coupled 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 Real Estate Financing Agency, and it has actually funded homes given that 1975. That funding model is why its core programs remain open year after year while grant-funded programs come and go.
The agency never lends to you directly. A CalHFA-approved private lending institution stems the loan, through loan officers the state has actually trained. The loan officer matters.
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 2nd mortgage with no monthly payments.
On conventional, VA, and USDA loans the cap is 3%. The statewide mean home ran roughly $930,000 in May 2026, per the California Association of Realtors.
The program handbook specifies it as a simple-interest loan. Absolutely nothing leaves your pocket month to month. But the balance you eventually pay back is primary plus accumulated easy interest. ZIP is the really zero-interest program. MyHome sits in second lien position behind your first home mortgage. The combined loan-to-value of whatever stacked on the home can not surpass 105%.
Buyers who desire assistance that forgives instead of postponing need to compare the Elite Grant, which forgives in as little as 6 to 36 months on qualifying FHA files. Lenders call these "silent seconds" since the junior loan makes no month-to-month demand on your budget. Your housing expense is just the first mortgage, taxes, and insurance coverage.
Essential Strategic Planning Tips for 2026For many purchasers that beats draining cost savings at closing. The deferred balance grows slowly, and California equity has traditionally grown faster, though no one can promise that pattern for any given year or neighborhood. ZIP means Zero Interest Program. It is closing expense support in its purest type. The loan equals 2% or 3% of your very first mortgage, and it charges no interest.
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