Programs & Assistance

CalHFA First-Time Homebuyer Programs: MyHome, ZIP, and the lender rule buyers miss

MyHome is not a standalone grant — it's a second loan that only exists paired with a CalHFA first mortgage through an approved lender. Here's how the layered package works, what ZIP can and cannot cover, and how it compares to other current options.

The one thing to understand first

MyHome cannot be used on its own. It is a subordinate second loan that must be originated together with an approved CalHFA first mortgage (CalHFA FHA or CalHFA Conventional) — through a CalHFA-approved lender, not CalHFA directly.

Do you need a CalHFA-approved lender?

Yes, if you want to use MyHome, CalPLUS with ZIP, or another CalHFA-linked assistance option. CalHFA assistance is not a separate grant you can attach to any ordinary mortgage. The first mortgage also has to be a CalHFA first mortgage originated by an approved lender or loan officer.

Before comparing rates

Ask each lender: "Are you CalHFA-approved, and have you recently closed CalHFA loans with MyHome or ZIP?"

CalHFA assistance can change which lender you can use

If you are comparing mortgage rates, start by separating ordinary mortgage quotes from CalHFA quotes. A lender with a strong public rate is not automatically useful for MyHome or ZIP unless the loan officer can originate the required CalHFA first mortgage and subordinate assistance package.

What to ask before comparing CalHFA mortgage rates

Are you a CalHFA-approved lender or loan officer?
Have you recently closed CalHFA loans with MyHome or ZIP?
Can you quote the same scenario with and without CalHFA assistance?
Which fees, points, and lock timing change when CalHFA is involved?

See how to compare Bay Area mortgage lenders after contacting 150 lenders →

The layered package

CalHFA combines a primary amortizing first mortgage with junior subordinate loans that offset the down payment and, optionally, closing costs. Each tier is a separate lien with its own repayment terms.

How it's structured

Three possible liens, one combined package

Financing tier	Program	Lien	Capital	Repayment
Primary first mortgage	CalHFA FHA or Conventional	1st lien	Up to 96.5% (FHA) of purchase price/appraised value	30-year fully amortizing fixed rate
Secondary subordinate loan	MyHome Assistance Program	2nd lien	Up to 3.5% (FHA) or 3% (Conventional) of purchase price/appraised value	Deferred, no monthly payments — due on sale, refinance, or first-mortgage payoff
Optional third lien	CalPLUS with ZIP	3rd lien	2%–3% of the CalPLUS first mortgage amount — closing costs only	Deferred, zero-interest — closing costs only, not down payment

ZIP is only available paired with the CalPLUS first-mortgage variant specifically — not every CalHFA first mortgage qualifies for it.

Income eligibility

CalHFA's income limit is flat per county — not household-size adjusted

This is a real, useful distinction from most other programs in our registry, which scale by household size (AMI-based).

Santa Clara County — 2026 CalHFA income limit

$325,000

Government/Conventional loans, effective 6/30/2026

A ~$190K household

Comfortably under the limit

No household-size adjustment applies to this figure

Verify for your property

This $325,000 figure is Santa Clara County–specific — one of several "high-cost county" limits (alongside Marin, Napa, San Francisco, and San Mateo). CalHFA's limits vary significantly by county; check the official income limits page for any other county.

Correcting a common comparison

How this compares to other Santa Clara County options right now

Several sources compare CalHFA against these programs as if all were equally available. As of this guide's verification date, most of them aren't — see the full details on our assistance directory.

Empower Homebuyers SCC

Closed

Fully subscribed, sunset date June 30, 2026 — not accepting new applications.

California Dream For All

Closed

2026 registration period closed March 16, 2026 — no new round announced as of this guide's verification date.

Homebuyer Empowerment Loan Program (HELP)

Closed

Official listing states "All funds allocated."

Home Access Program

Open, but income too low for this scenario

80% AMI ceiling ($95,050–$135,750 by household size) — well under a ~$190K household income.

With Empower Homebuyers SCC, Dream For All, and HELP all currently closed, CalHFA's MyHome (paired with a CalHFA first mortgage) is, as of this guide's verification date, the most accessible currently-open state program for a ~$190K Santa Clara County household — see every program's live status on the assistance directory.

Underwriting

Borrower and property rules

First-time buyer definition: No ownership interest in a principal residence in the 3 years before loan origination (exceptions for HUD Section 184 and declared-disaster victims)
Occupancy: Must occupy as primary residence within 60 days of closing; non-occupant co-borrowers/co-signers not allowed
Credit score minimum: 640 for CalHFA FHA first mortgage; 680 for CalHFA Conventional
Debt-to-income ceiling: Maximum 45% of gross qualifying income (housing expense + recurring debts)
Citizenship: Not required — permanent residents, lawful non-permanent residents, and valid work-authorized visa holders are eligible

Eligible properties: single-family detached homes, single-unit townhomes, and approved PUDs statewide. Condos require FHA project approval (if paired with a CalHFA FHA first loan) or Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac eligibility (if Conventional). Co-ops, duplexes/triplexes, land trusts, and leasehold estates are not eligible.

Required

Homebuyer education

At least one occupying first-time borrower must complete an approved course. CalHFA accepts only eHome America's 8-hour online course ($100), which includes a required 1-hour, 1-on-1 counseling follow-up session — or an in-person/virtual workshop through a HUD-approved agency.

Verify for your property

CalHFA explicitly does not accept Fannie Mae HomeView or Framework — those platforms lack the required 1-on-1 counseling follow-up session.

Next steps

What to do next

01
Find a CalHFA-approved lender
CalHFA doesn't lend directly — pre-approval and income verification happen through an approved loan officer.
02
Complete eHome America's course early
It includes a required counseling session — starting before you're under contract avoids a closing delay.
03
Confirm your county's actual income limit
$325,000 applies to Santa Clara County only — check the official table if you're buying elsewhere.
04
Buying in San José or Santa Clara specifically?
See the San José or Santa Clara city guide for local options alongside CalHFA.

Connect to True Cost

Ready to see the real monthly picture?

A deferred second loan changes your down payment, not your monthly mortgage math automatically — verify with your lender how MyHome affects your specific loan terms, then calculate the full picture.

Calculate True Cost

Educational information, not financial or legal advice. FirstHomeBayArea does not administer or guarantee eligibility for any government program — confirm current terms with a CalHFA-approved lender.

Sources

Provenance for the claims on this page

Government (state)

CalHFA — MyHome Assistance Program

Supports: loan structure, education requirements, eligibility rules. Accessed Aug 31, 2026.

Government (state)

CalHFA MyHome Program Handbook

Supports: underwriting rules, property standards. Accessed Aug 31, 2026.

Government (state)

CalHFA — Income Limits

Supports: Santa Clara County $325,000 figure and effective date (PDF itself returned unparseable content on direct fetch; confirmed via this index page + a search-engine-indexed reading of the table). Accessed Aug 31, 2026.

Government (state)

CalHFA — CalPLUS with ZIP

Supports: ZIP structure and terms. Accessed Aug 28, 2026.

This guide corrects specific inaccuracies found in a third-party research document supplied for this task: that document presented Empower Homebuyers SCC and California Dream For All as currently-available comparison options (both are closed) and cited a lower, unconfirmed Empower Homebuyers SCC income figure than the official 2026 Santa Clara County AMI table supports.