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(c) This order is not meant to, and does not, develop any right or advantage, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, companies, or entities, its officers, workers, or representatives, or any other person. (d) The expenses for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of the Treasury.
TRUMP THE WHITE HOUSE, March 13, 2026.
CalHFA gives California first-time purchasers 4 working assistance programs in 2026: MyHome (approximately 3.5% of the cost for deposit or closing expenses), ZIP (2% to 3% in zero-interest closing expense help), 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 qualifying earnings must clear your county's 2026 limitation, one customer needs a property buyer education certificate, and MyHome and Dream For All both need first-time purchaser status. Dream For All is closed since 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 limits and lending institution matrices.
Absolutely nothing sours a buyer much faster than reading about last year's program that stopped taking applications. Free evaluation Tell us your county, credit, and rough price variety. We'll check your income versus the present 2026 table and inform you which state programs your file actually supports, at no cost. 4 programs, one quick contrast.
Here is how they line up. ProgramWhat it coversAmountInterestKey requirementDown payment or closing costs3.5% (FHA), 3% (conventional, VA, USDA)Easy interest, deferredFirst-time purchaser; any CalHFA initially mortgageClosing costs only2% or 3% of the first mortgageZero interestCalPLUS initially mortgageDown payment or closing costs2.5% of the loan amountDeferredCalPLUS Gain access to first, coupled 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 Real Estate Finance Agency, and it has funded homes considering that 1975. That financing model is why its core programs stay open year after year while grant-funded programs come and go.
Financial Readiness Checklist for Future Property OwnersHere is the part most purchasers miss. The firm never lends to you straight. A CalHFA-approved personal lending institution stems the loan, through loan officers the state has trained. The loan officer matters. One who seldom touches these files will not understand which pairings fit your scenario. The bond-funded core runs continually.
Dream For All is the exception, and we cover its window-based truth listed below. MyHome is a deferred-payment junior loan, the firm's own term for a second mortgage with no month-to-month payments.
On standard, 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. ZIP is the genuinely zero-interest program. MyHome sits in second lien position behind your first home mortgage.
Buyers who desire assistance that forgives instead of delaying ought to compare the Elite Grant, which forgives in as little as 6 to 36 months on qualifying FHA files. Lenders call these "silent seconds" because the junior loan makes no regular monthly need on your budget plan. Your real estate cost is simply the first home mortgage, taxes, and insurance.
For the majority of purchasers that beats draining pipes savings at closing. The deferred balance grows slowly, and California equity has traditionally grown quicker, though nobody can guarantee that pattern for any given year or community. ZIP stands for Absolutely no Interest Program. It is closing expense assistance in its purest form. The loan equates to 2% or 3% of your first home mortgage, and it charges no interest.
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