California down payment assistance: CalHFA, county by county
Pick your California county, income and price: what MyHome would pay, the cash you still bring, and why Dream For All is not an option right now.
Help you may get in Los Angeles County
$22,750
MyHome Assistance Program: deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance. 0 programs likely fit, 1 to check.
| Your income vs. area median for 3 people | 113% |
| HUD 80% income limit, 3 people | $119,950 |
| Down payment at 3.5% | $22,750 |
| Cash still needed with the help | $0 |
| Monthly payment, no help | $4,343 |
| Monthly payment, with the help | $4,343 |
| FHA limit · conforming limit | $1,249,125 · $1,249,125 |
Programs read on the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) pages; HUD FY 2026 limits; payment = principal and interest over 30 years at 7.4% (Freddie Mac, October 15, 2026). The approved lender confirms eligibility.
| Program | Fit | Amount | Form | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MyHome Assistance Program | Check with the agency | $22,750 | Deferred loan, repaid when you sell or refinance | county income limit not transcribed: see the agency table; price limit by county: see the agency table |
| California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan | Not taking applications | $130,000 | Shared-appreciation loan | funds reserved or portal closed; county income limit not transcribed: see the agency table |
Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · updated: HUD 2026 limits effective May 1, 2026 · Freddie Mac rate of October 15, 2026 · programs read on October 21, 2026
The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) offers two kinds of statewide help. MyHome Assistance is a deferred junior loan of up to 3.5% of the price with a CalHFA FHA first loan, or 3% with a conventional, USDA or VA loan; nothing is paid monthly, and the balance is due when you sell, refinance or pay off the first loan. Dream For All, a shared appreciation loan of up to 20% of the price capped at $150,000, was closed to new applications when we read it: its portal closed on March 16, 2026 and vouchers were drawn at random. Both are for first-time buyers. On a $650,000 home in Los Angeles County, MyHome would cover $22,750, the whole FHA minimum down payment, if the household of three earning $110,000 is under CalHFA's county income limit; at 113% of the HUD median for its size, that check is the one to make. The calculator flags it.
CalHFA's two programs, in the agency's words
| Program | Amount | Repayment (agency wording) | First-time only | Min. credit | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MyHome Assistance Program | up to the lesser of 3.5% of the purchase price or appraised value with a CalHFA FHA first loan; 3% with Conventional, USDA or VA | deferred-payment junior loan, payments deferred for the life of the first loan; due on sale, transfer of title, payoff or refinance of the first loan | yes | open | |
| California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan | up to 20% of the sales price or $150,000, whichever is lower | repaid on sale, transfer or refinance with a share of appreciation: 20% (15% for borrowers at or below 80% AMI), capped at 2.5 times the loan | yes | not taking applications |
We could not open the CalHFA pages directly from our network; the terms above come from the agency's indexed page text and its MyHome handbook. MyHome is the program that matters today. It is sized on the price, not on the loan, so with an FHA first mortgage it equals the 3.5% minimum down payment almost to the dollar. Fees and prepaid items then come from your savings, a gift or a seller credit.
A state of two price levels
| County | HUD median (4 people) | HUD 80% limit (3 people) | FHA limit | Conforming limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County | $108,100 | $119,950 | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 |
| San Diego County | $130,900 | $125,950 | $1,104,000 | $1,104,000 |
| Orange County | $138,600 | $134,000 | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 |
| Riverside County | $106,500 | $88,600 | $690,000 | $832,750 |
| Santa Clara County | $205,500 | $146,200 | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 |
| Alameda County | $162,800 | $122,200 | $1,249,125 | $1,249,125 |
| Sacramento County | $124,000 | $94,600 | $764,750 | $832,750 |
| Fresno County | $91,300 | $69,950 | $541,287 | $832,750 |
| Kern County | $81,900 | $69,950 | $541,287 | $832,750 |
The coastal counties reach the national FHA ceiling of $1,249,125, while the Central Valley sits near the floor: Kern County is at $541,287. The HUD median follows the same split, from $81,900 in Kern to $205,500 in Santa Clara for four people. A 3.5% MyHome loan on a median coastal home is worth three times what it is worth inland, but it covers the same share of the purchase.
Your California county
Help you may get in Fresno County
$13,300
| Your income vs. area median for 3 people | 97% |
| HUD 80% income limit, 3 people | $69,950 |
| Down payment at 3.5% | $13,300 |
| Cash still needed with the help | $0 |
Los Angeles County, worked through
| Program | Result | Amount | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| MyHome Assistance Program | Check with the agency | $22,750 | county income limit not transcribed: see the agency table; price limit by county: see the agency table |
| California Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan | Not taking applications | $130,000 | funds reserved or portal closed; county income limit not transcribed: see the agency table |
In Fresno County the same reasoning on a $380,000 home gives $13,300 of MyHome help, with the income at 97% of the local median. The monthly payment does not change with MyHome, $4,343 in principal and interest in the Los Angeles case, because the help sits in a deferred second loan.
What to plan for in California
A deferred loan stays on the title until you sell or refinance, so a refinance when rates fall means paying it back from the new loan or asking CalHFA to subordinate. Cities and counties run their own programs too, often larger than MyHome but with lower income limits and waiting lists; they are not in the calculator. Ask a CalHFA-approved lender which local help it can layer with MyHome in your county before you make an offer. Keep the Dream For All page in your bookmarks as well: when CalHFA opens a new round, the dates and the drawing rules are posted there first, and the window has been short.