CalHFA Loans & Down-Payment Assistance
The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) offers some of the best first-time-buyer programs in the country — including down-payment assistance loans that effectively let qualified buyers close with little to no money out of pocket. UWL is a CalHFA-approved lender and has closed hundreds of these files for NorCal first-time buyers.
Programs we offer
• CalHFA Conventional First Mortgage — standard 30-year fixed conventional loan, often paired with assistance below
• CalHFA FHA First Mortgage — FHA loan that stacks with CalHFA down-payment help
• MyHome Assistance Program — deferred-payment subordinate loan, up to 3% (conv) or 3.5% (FHA) of the home’s price, for down payment and closing costs
• Zero Interest Program (ZIP) — small, deferred-payment loan to cover closing costs
• California Dream For All — shared-appreciation down-payment assistance up to 20% of purchase price (subject to annual funding availability)
Who qualifies
You must be a first-time homebuyer (no ownership in the last 3 years), meet CalHFA income limits for your county, complete a homebuyer education course, and occupy the property as your primary residence. Minimum FICO is 660 for most programs (some allow 640).
How the stacking works
Most CalHFA buyers combine a CalHFA conventional or FHA first mortgage with MyHome and/or ZIP to cover both the down payment and closing costs. The result: a buyer with as little as a few hundred dollars saved can close a real home in California.
Why UWL for CalHFA
CalHFA program rules and funding pools change regularly — especially Dream For All, which is allocated in waves. We track program availability daily and know how to structure the file to maximize the assistance you qualify for.
