7-Day Plan — Day 5 of 7
Find money & opportunities
What assistance or opportunities might I be missing? Real programs exist — here's how to find the ones you'd actually qualify for.
Direct answer
California and local governments run real down payment and closing-cost assistance programs — CalHFA statewide, plus city/county programs and BMR (below-market-rate) ownership opportunities. Check our assistance finder and opportunity calendar for what's currently open and what deadlines are coming up.
Why this matters
Eligibility and funding change — often
Assistance programs aren't a fixed list — funding runs out, income limits get updated, and new local programs open while others close. A program you dismissed six months ago as "not applicable" might be exactly right now, or vice versa.
This is also the part of buying a home most first-time buyers never check at all — not because it doesn't apply to them, but because nobody pointed them to it.
Evidence
What kinds of programs actually exist
- CalHFA MyHome
- Deferred loan, up to ~3% of price for down payment/closing costs
- CalHFA Dream For All
- Shared-appreciation loan for eligible first-generation buyers
- Local city/county programs
- Vary a lot — some cities offer their own deferred loans
- BMR ownership opportunities
- Below-market-rate units, often lottery-based
- Homebuyer education
- Often required before you can use assistance funds
- Program deadlines
- Application windows open and close — track them, don't assume they're always open
Step by step
How to check what applies to you
Haven't shortlisted cities yet? Do Day 4 first — it's faster to filter for programs once you know where you're actually looking.
- 1
Browse the assistance finder for your target cities/county
Filter to where you're actually looking (from Day 4), not the whole state.
- 2
Check each program's status and income limits
Programs marked "Unverified" or without a recent verification date should be double-checked against the official source before you count on them.
- 3
Check the opportunity calendar for open deadlines
Application windows, BMR lottery dates, and workshop dates — dated events, not evergreen program descriptions.
- 4
Note whether homebuyer education is required
Some programs require a completed course before funds can be used — start early if so.
Example
A realistic eligibility check
Example
First-time buyer in Santa Clara County, under CalHFA's income limit
A first-time buyer whose household income is under CalHFA's published limit for Santa Clara County could be eligible for MyHome's deferred down-payment loan — but eligibility also depends on the first mortgage program used, occupancy requirements, and completing homebuyer education. None of this is guaranteed by meeting one income threshold alone — always confirm against the current program terms, not last year's.
Checklist
Before you move to Day 6
- Checked the assistance finder for programs in your target cities/county
- Noted each program's status (Open / Unverified / Closed) rather than assuming availability
- Checked the opportunity calendar for any upcoming deadlines
- Confirmed whether homebuyer education is required for a program you're interested in
Official sources
Caveats: program availability and eligibility change. Always confirm current terms against the official source before relying on a program's numbers — this site shows "Unverified" or a last-checked date wherever we haven't confirmed a program recently, rather than guessing it's still open.
Next
Day 6: Build your buying team
Who you'll actually work with — lender, agent, inspector, insurer — and how to evaluate each one.