CalHFA Down Payment Assistance Checker
Buying your first home in California? See if you qualify for CalHFA's MyHome down payment loan and how much it could be.
CalHFA's MyHome Assistance loan covers up to 3.5% of the price with a CalHFA FHA mortgage (3% with a conventional one), as a deferred-payment second loan. You must be a first-time buyer, live in the home, and have household income under your county's limit ($192,000 to $325,000). Dream For All (up to 20%) is not taking applications.
CalHFA Down Payment Assistance Checker
CalHFA Down Payment Help
How this is calculated
MyHome Assistance: a deferred-payment junior loan of up to the lesser of 3.5% of the purchase price or appraised value (CalHFA FHA first mortgage) or 3% (CalHFA conventional first). Requirements: first-time homebuyer, owner-occupied single-family one-unit home (approved condos, PUDs and manufactured homes included), homebuyer education, and income at or under the county limit. Lender and mortgage insurer credit rules also apply.
Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan: up to 20% of the price, capped at $150,000, for buyers where at least one borrower is first-generation and all are first-time. Instead of interest, you repay the loan plus a share of the home's appreciation equal to the loan's share of the price (0.75 times that if your income is at or below 80% of area median). Vouchers are awarded by random drawing. The 2026 application portal closed March 16, 2026; vouchers were released May 20, 2026. CalHFA's Dream For All page (August 6, 2026 snapshot) announced no new round.
CalHFA income limits, effective June 30, 2026 (all CalHFA first mortgages and MyHome; not Dream For All):
| County | Income limit | County | Income limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda | $322,000 | Orange | $274,000 |
| Alpine | $256,000 | Placer | $245,000 |
| Amador | $218,000 | Plumas | $192,000 |
| Butte | $192,000 | Riverside | $210,000 |
| Calaveras | $203,000 | Sacramento | $245,000 |
| Colusa | $192,000 | San Benito | $277,000 |
| Contra Costa | $322,000 | San Bernardino | $210,000 |
| Del Norte | $192,000 | San Diego | $259,000 |
| El Dorado | $245,000 | San Francisco | $325,000 |
| Fresno | $192,000 | San Joaquin | $214,000 |
| Glenn | $192,000 | San Luis Obispo | $256,000 |
| Humboldt | $192,000 | San Mateo | $325,000 |
| Imperial | $192,000 | Santa Barbara | $235,000 |
| Inyo | $192,000 | Santa Clara | $325,000 |
| Kern | $192,000 | Santa Cruz | $271,000 |
| Kings | $192,000 | Shasta | $201,000 |
| Lake | $192,000 | Sierra | $192,000 |
| Lassen | $192,000 | Siskiyou | $192,000 |
| Los Angeles | $214,000 | Solano | $246,000 |
| Madera | $192,000 | Sonoma | $264,000 |
| Marin | $325,000 | Stanislaus | $195,000 |
| Mariposa | $192,000 | Sutter | $201,000 |
| Mendocino | $196,000 | Tehama | $192,000 |
| Merced | $192,000 | Trinity | $192,000 |
| Modoc | $192,000 | Tulare | $192,000 |
| Mono | $238,000 | Tuolumne | $202,000 |
| Monterey | $218,000 | Ventura | $268,000 |
| Napa | $325,000 | Yolo | $269,000 |
| Nevada | $278,000 | Yuba | $201,000 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much down payment help does CalHFA give?
Through MyHome, up to 3.5% of the purchase price (or appraised value, if lower) with a CalHFA FHA first mortgage, or 3% with a CalHFA conventional loan. It is a deferred-payment second loan for the down payment and/or closing costs. Dream For All offered up to 20%, capped at $150,000, when it was open.
What are the CalHFA income limits?
They depend on the county, from $192,000 to $325,000 of household income under the limits effective June 30, 2026. Dream For All uses its own, separate limits.
What counts as a first-time homebuyer for CalHFA?
Someone who hasn't owned and lived in a home in the last 3 years, and hasn't lived in a home owned by a spouse in that time. MyHome requires it; so does Dream For All, for every borrower.
Is California Dream For All open?
The 2026 application portal closed March 16, 2026; vouchers were released May 20, 2026. CalHFA's Dream For All page (August 6, 2026 snapshot) announced no new round. Check calhfa.ca.gov for future rounds.
Do I apply to CalHFA directly?
No. CalHFA doesn't lend directly. You apply through a CalHFA-approved lender, who also checks credit and loan requirements. One first-time borrower must complete homebuyer education and counseling.
This tool provides an educational estimate only. CalHFA programs change often and funding is limited; a CalHFA-approved lender confirms eligibility and the amount.