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(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, develop any right or advantage, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party versus the United States, its departments, companies, or entities, its officers, workers, or agents, or any other person. (d) The costs 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 buyers four working assistance programs in 2026: MyHome (as much as 3.5% of the rate for down payment or closing expenses), ZIP (2% to 3% in zero-interest closing expense aid), MyAccess (a 2.5% postponed loan), and Dream For All (as much as 20% of the rate, topped at $150,000, for first-generation purchasers).
The catch is eligibility: your qualifying earnings needs to clear your county's 2026 limitation, one customer needs a homebuyer education certificate, and MyHome and Dream For All both require newbie buyer status. Dream For All is closed as of 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 released limitations and loan provider matrices.
Absolutely nothing sours a purchaser faster than checking out last year's program that stopped taking applications. Free evaluation Inform us your county, credit, and rough price range. We'll examine your earnings against the existing 2026 table and tell you which state programs your file really supports, at no expense. Four programs, one quick contrast.
Here is how they line up. ProgramWhat it coversAmountInterestKey requirementDown payment or closing costs3.5% (FHA), 3% (standard, VA, USDA)Easy interest, deferredFirst-time purchaser; any CalHFA first mortgageClosing costs only2% or 3% of the first mortgageZero interestCalPLUS initially mortgageDown payment or closing costs2.5% of the loan amountDeferredCalPLUS Access first, matched with MyHomeDown payment or closing costsUp to 20% of cost, max $150,000 Shared appreciationFirst-generation and novice buyer; window-basedEvery row is a deferred junior loan.
CalHFA is the California Housing Financing Company, and it has actually financed homes given that 1975. That financing design is why its core programs stay open year after year while grant-funded programs come and go.
Here is the part most buyers miss. The company never ever lends to you straight. A CalHFA-approved personal lender comes from the loan, through loan officers the state has actually trained. The loan officer matters. One who hardly ever touches these files will not know which pairings fit your situation. The bond-funded core runs continuously.
No application season, no lotto, no race versus a funding pool that empties mid-year. That reliability pays off when you plan months ahead. Dream For All is the exception, and we cover its window-based reality below. MyHome is a deferred-payment junior loan, the company's own term for a 2nd mortgage with no month-to-month payments.
On conventional, VA, and USDA loans the cap is 3%. The statewide average home ran approximately $930,000 in May 2026, per the California Association of Realtors.
The program handbook defines it as a simple-interest loan. Absolutely nothing leaves your pocket month to month. But the balance you ultimately pay back is primary plus accumulated easy interest. ZIP is the genuinely zero-interest program. MyHome beings in 2nd lien position behind your first home mortgage. The combined loan-to-value of everything stacked on the home can not exceed 105%.
Buyers who want help that forgives instead of postponing need to compare the Elite Grant, which forgives in as little as 6 to 36 months on certifying FHA files. Lenders call these "quiet seconds" since the junior loan makes no month-to-month need on your spending plan. Your real estate expense is just the first home loan, taxes, and insurance coverage.
First-Time Buyer Secrets for Pennsylvania Real Estate MarketsZIP stands for Absolutely no Interest Program. The loan equals 2% or 3% of your first home loan, and it charges no interest.
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