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(c) This order is not planned to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against 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 will 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 (as much as 3.5% of the cost for down payment or closing costs), ZIP (2% to 3% in zero-interest closing expense aid), MyAccess (a 2.5% deferred 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 certifying income must clear your county's 2026 limitation, one debtor needs a homebuyer education certificate, and MyHome and Dream For All both need novice purchaser status. Dream For All is closed as of July 2026, while MyHome and ZIP remain open year-round. This page sets out each program with the 2026 numbers, pulled from the company's published limits and lender matrices.
Absolutely nothing sours a buyer quicker than reading about last year's program that stopped taking applications. Free evaluation Inform us your county, credit, and rough price range. We'll inspect your earnings versus the existing 2026 table and inform you which state programs your file in fact supports, at no cost. 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)Basic interest, deferredFirst-time purchaser; any CalHFA first mortgageClosing expenses only2% or 3% of the first mortgageZero interestCalPLUS first mortgageDown payment or closing costs2.5% of the loan amountDeferredCalPLUS Access first, coupled with MyHomeDown payment or closing costsUp to 20% of rate, 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 funded homes considering that 1975. That funding design is why its core programs stay open year after year while grant-funded programs come and go.
The firm never ever provides to you directly. A CalHFA-approved personal lending institution stems the loan, through loan officers the state has trained. The loan officer matters.
No application season, no lottery, no race versus a funding swimming pool that clears mid-year. That dependability pays off when you prepare months ahead. Dream For All is the exception, and we cover its window-based reality below. MyHome is a deferred-payment junior loan, the firm's own term for a 2nd home loan without any month-to-month payments.
On standard, 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. Versus that cost the FHA version is worth more than $30,000 of help. One correction, because plenty of pages get this incorrect and an older variation of this one did too.
The program handbook defines it as a simple-interest loan. Nothing leaves your pocket month to month. The balance you eventually pay back is primary plus accrued basic interest. ZIP is the genuinely zero-interest program. MyHome beings in 2nd lien position behind your very first home loan. The combined loan-to-value of whatever stacked on the home can not go beyond 105%.
Buyers who desire support that forgives rather of postponing must compare the Elite Grant, which forgives in as little as 6 to 36 months on qualifying FHA files. Lenders call these "silent seconds" due to the fact that the junior loan makes no monthly demand on your budget. Your housing cost is just the very first home loan, taxes, and insurance.
A Complete Guide to 2026 ReliefFor the majority of buyers that beats draining pipes savings at closing. The deferred balance grows gradually, and California equity has traditionally grown much faster, though no one can assure that pattern for any given year or area. ZIP means Zero Interest Program. It is closing expense assistance in its purest form. The loan equates to 2% or 3% of your very first home loan, and it charges no interest.
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