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(c) This order is not meant to, and does not, develop any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any celebration against the United States, its departments, agencies, 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 HOUSE, March 13, 2026.
CalHFA gives California newbie buyers 4 working help programs in 2026: MyHome (up to 3.5% of the rate for deposit or closing expenses), ZIP (2% to 3% in zero-interest closing expense assistance), MyAccess (a 2.5% delayed 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 qualifying earnings should clear your county's 2026 limitation, one debtor needs a homebuyer education certificate, and MyHome and Dream For All both require first-time 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 limitations and lender matrices.
Nothing sours a buyer quicker than reading about last year's program that stopped taking applications. We'll examine your earnings versus the existing 2026 table and inform you which state programs your file actually supports, at no cost.
Here is how they line up. ProgramWhat it coversAmountInterestKey requirementDown payment or closing costs3.5% (FHA), 3% (traditional, VA, USDA)Easy interest, deferredFirst-time buyer; any CalHFA initially mortgageClosing costs only2% or 3% of the very first mortgageZero interestCalPLUS initially mortgageDown payment or closing costs2.5% of the loan amountDeferredCalPLUS Gain access to first, paired with MyHomeDown payment or closing costsUp to 20% of cost, max $150,000 Shared appreciationFirst-generation and novice purchaser; window-basedEvery row is a deferred junior loan.
The rest of this page walks each one in information. CalHFA is the California Housing Finance Agency, and it has actually financed homes considering that 1975. It is self-supporting rather than taxpayer-funded. The agency sells bonds and provides the profits. That funding design is why its core programs stay open year after year while grant-funded programs reoccur.
The Impact of Military Veterans on Negative EquityHere is the part most purchasers miss out on. The agency never lends to you straight. A CalHFA-approved personal lending institution stems 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 scenario. The bond-funded core runs constantly.
Dream For All is the exception, and we cover its window-based reality listed below. MyHome is a deferred-payment junior loan, the company's own term for a 2nd mortgage with no monthly payments.
On traditional, VA, and USDA loans the cap is 3%. The statewide typical crowning achievement approximately $930,000 in May 2026, per the California Association of Realtors. Against that price the FHA variation deserves more than $30,000 of aid. One correction, since plenty of pages get this incorrect and an older variation of this one did too.
The program handbook specifies it as a simple-interest loan. ZIP is the genuinely zero-interest program. MyHome sits in second lien position behind your first home loan.
Purchasers who want support that forgives instead of postponing should compare the Elite Grant, which forgives in as low as 6 to 36 months on certifying FHA files. Lenders call these "quiet seconds" because the junior loan makes no regular monthly demand on your budget plan. Your real estate cost is just the very first home loan, taxes, and insurance.
For many purchasers that beats draining pipes 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 neighborhood. ZIP represents Zero Interest Program. It is closing expense support in its purest form. The loan equates to 2% or 3% of your first home loan, and it charges no interest.
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