California first time home buyer programs
Looking for help buying your first home? California has a number of state and country programs that encourage homeownership and will help first-time home buyers qualify for specalized loans or help them come up with the down payment. In this article we’ll cover the various state agency home buying programs, down payment assistance programs and grants, and some of the largest local programs that you may be able to use when qualifying for a home loan.
California State Housing Agencies
California Housing Finance Agency – http://www.calhfa.ca.gov/
Department of Housing and Community Development –http://www.hcd.ca.gov/
California Department of Veteran Affairs (CalVet) – https://www.calvet.ca.gov/veteran-services-benefits/housing
National Homebuyers Fund – non-profit organization helping to expand homeownership – http://www.nhfloan.org/programs/index.shtml
Home counselors in California – go here to search.
Down Payment Assistance & Grants for California Home Loans
- CalPLUS Conventional Loan Program – Offers down payment and/or closing costs assistance
- CalHFA Conventional Loan Program
- CalPLUS FHA Loan Program – Offers down payment and/or closing costs assistance
- CalHFA FHA Loan Program
- Cal-EEM + Grant Loan Program – Specifically for Energy Efficient Improvements
- CalHFA Down Payment Assistance Program (CHDAP – Offers a deferred-payment junior loan of up to 3% of the home value or purchase price.
- MyHome Assistance Program – Offers a deferred-payment junior loan of up to 5% of the home value or purchase price.
- Extra Credit Teacher Home Purchase Program (ECTP) – Specialty program for Teachers, down payment assistance program that offers a deferred-payment junior loan of up to 3% of the home value or purchase price.
- NFH Sapphire – Down payment assistance program that grants up to 5% of the mortgage loan amount. Open to all buyers, not just first time home buyers.
- GSFA Platinum Program – Down payment assistance program that grants up to 5% of the mortgage loan amount. Open to all buyers, not just first time home buyers. Borrowers must meet minimum FICO requirements.
- Mortgage Credit Certificate Tax Credit Program (MCC) – Program with a federal credit which can reduce potential federal income tax liability. May enable first-time homebuyers to convert a portion of their annual mortgage interest into a direct dollar for dollar tax credit on their U.S. individual income tax returns.
- Individual Development Accounts – Specialty savings account program designed to assist low income borrowers on their path toward home ownership. Savings contributions are matched with contributions by nonprofit organizations and eligible banks. These organizations may offer up to a 3:1 savings match (example – you save $1,000, they match with an additional $3,000).
California County Specific Housing Programs
Alameda County
- Alameda County Housing & Community Development Department – http://www.acgov.org/cda/hcd/
- Berkeley – http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Home.aspx
- Oakland Housing & Community Development Department – http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/hcd/index.htm
Contra Costa County first time home buyer resources
Contra Costa County Website – http://www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/
Fresno County first time home buyer resources
- Fresno County Affordable Housing Programs – http://www.co.fresno.ca.us/DepartmentPage.aspx?id=6004
- City of Fresno – http://www.fresno.gov/
Kern County first time home buyer resources
- Kern County Housing Programs – http://pcd.kerndsa.com/community-development/housing-programs
- Kern County Website – http://www.co.kern.ca.us/
Los Angeles County first time home buyer resources
Los Angeles County Website – https://www.lacounty.gov/
City Websites
- Los Angeles City Housing – https://www.lacity.org/for-residents/housing
- Long Beach – http://www.longbeach.gov/
- City of Glendale – http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/
- City of Lancaster – http://www.cityoflancasterca.org/
- City of Palmdale – http://www.cityofpalmdale.org/
- City of Pomona – http://www.ci.pomona.ca.us/
- Pasadena – http://www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/
- El Monte – http://www.ci.el-monte.ca.us/
- Downey – http://www.downeyca.org/
- Inglewood – http://www.cityofinglewood.org/
- Norwalk – http://www.ci.norwalk.ca.us/
- Burbank – http://www.ci.burbank.ca.us/
- Compton – http://www.comptoncity.org/
Orange County first time home buyer resources
- Orange County Housing Authority – http://ochousing.org
- Specialty Housing Programs – http://ochousing.org/special
- Orange County Housing & Community Development – Homeowner Programs – http://occommunityservices.org/hcd/housing/rehab/
- City of Orange Housing Division Website – http://www.cityoforange.org/depts/commdev/housing_division.asp
- Neighbor Works Orange County – https://www.nwoc.org/ – local non-profit focused on promoting housing opportunities
- Down Payment Assistance program – https://www.nwoc.org/programs-services/down-payment-programs/lending-services/down-payment-programs/
- Specialty loans – https://www.nwoc.org/programs-services/down-payment-programs/specialized-home-loans/
Riverside County first time home buyer resources
- City of Riverside Housing Authority – http://www.riversideca.gov/housing/
- County of Riverside Economic Development Agency – Housing Programs – http://www.rivcoeda.org/Default.aspx?tabid=57
- Fair Housing Council of Riverside County, Inc. – http://fairhousing.net/
Sacramento County first time home buyer resources
- Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency – Housing Programs – http://www.shra.org/Housing/HomebuyerPrograms.aspx
- Neighborworks Homeownership Center – Specialty loan programs – https://www.nwsac.org/loan-information/home-loans#sthash.mxI2lr57.zZ49jGLF.dpbs
San Bernardino County first time home buyer resources
- San Bernardino County Housing Assistance Programs – http://www.sbcountyadvantage.com/Community-Development-Housing/Housing-Assistance-Programs-(1).aspx
- Neighborhood Housing Services of the Inland Empire – Down Payment Assistance Programs – http://www.nhsie.org/lending/down-payment-assistance
San Diego County first time home buyer resources
- San Diego County Housing Programs – http://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/sdhcd/home-buyers-owners.html
- San Diego Housing Commission – First time home buyer programs – http://www.sdhc.org/Affordable-Housing/First-Time-Homebuyers/
- City of Carlsbad – Grants & Loan Programs – http://www.carlsbadca.gov/services/depts/housing/programs/default.asp
- City of Chula Vista – Home Ownership Programs http://www.chulavistaca.gov/departments/development-services/housing/homeowner-homebuyer
- City of El Cajon – Housing Programs – http://www.ci.el-cajon.ca.us/your-government/departments/community-development/housing-division
- City of San Marcos – Down Payment Assistance – http://www.san-marcos.net/departments/housing-neighborhood-services/housing-assistance-programs/homebuyer-assistance
San Francisco first time home buyer resources
- San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing & Community Development – http://sfmohcd.org/
- Mission Economic Development Agency – Housing Programs – http://medasf.org/programs/housing-opportunites/
San Joaquin County first time home buyer resources
- San Joaquin County Community Development Department Programs – http://www.sjgov.org/commdev/cgi-bin/cdyn.exe?grp=neighpresv&htm=gaploanlender
San Mateo County first time home buyer resources
- County of San Mateo – First Time Home Buyer Programs – http://housing.smcgov.org/first-time-homebuyer-programs
- City of San Mateo – First Time Home Buyer Programs – http://www.cityofsanmateo.org/index.aspx?nid=525