CalHFA MyHome Assistance Program · Updated July 2026
MyHome: up to $31,500 toward your down payment, with no monthly payment.
MyHome is California's workhorse down payment assistance program. It is a second loan with no monthly bill. It covers up to 3.5% of your purchase price. On a $900,000 home, that is up to $31,500. Here is how it works in 2026, and how San Diego buyers use it.
The short version
CalHFA lends you up to 3.5% of the purchase price with an FHA loan, or 3% with a conventional loan. Use it for your down payment or closing costs. You make no monthly payments on it. You repay it only when you sell, refinance, or pay off the home.
What is the MyHome Assistance Program?
MyHome is a second loan from the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA). It sits quietly behind your main mortgage. There is no monthly bill. Lenders call it a "silent second": a loan that waits until you sell. Nothing is due until you sell the home, refinance your main mortgage, or finish paying it off. In the meantime, a small amount of interest builds slowly in the background. It never compounds.
Unlike a grant, MyHome does get repaid one day. But nothing is due while you live there. That solves the problem that keeps most Southern California renters stuck: saving a huge down payment while paying San Diego rent. MyHome cuts out those years of saving.
How much can you get in 2026?
| Your main mortgage | MyHome provides | Dollar cap |
|---|---|---|
| CalHFA FHA loan | Up to 3.5% of the purchase price (or the home's appraised value, if that's lower) | No cap |
| CalHFA conventional loan | Up to 3% of the purchase price (or appraised value, if lower) | No cap |
| VA or USDA loan | Up to 3% | $15,000 |
CalHFA dropped the old $15,000 cap for FHA and conventional loans back in 2022. That changed the game for high-cost counties like San Diego. On today's prices, the percentage is real money:
| Purchase price (typical San Diego scenarios) | MyHome @ 3.5% (FHA) | MyHome @ 3% (conventional) |
|---|---|---|
| $550,000 condo (El Cajon, National City) | $19,250 | $16,500 |
| $700,000 townhome (Chula Vista, Vista) | $24,500 | $21,000 |
| $900,000 single-family (San Diego) | $31,500 | $27,000 |
FHA's minimum down payment is exactly 3.5%. MyHome lends up to 3.5%. So it often covers the entire minimum down payment. Your remaining cash need is mostly closing costs. That is where CalPLUS with ZIP, and money the seller chips in toward your costs, come in.
Who qualifies for MyHome?
- First-time homebuyer. You have not owned and lived in a home in the last 3 years. (Owning a rental you never lived in usually does not disqualify you.)
- Income under the county limit. For 2026: $259,000 in San Diego County, $210,000 in Riverside County. See all income limits.
- A home you'll actually live in. The home must be your main residence. Single-family homes, condos, townhomes, and most manufactured homes qualify.
- Credit and monthly debts. Generally a mid-600s credit score or better. Your monthly debt payments must fit program guidelines. Exact thresholds depend on the loan type and the loan review.
- Homebuyer education. One borrower completes an approved course and gets a certificate before closing. It takes a few hours online.
- CalHFA-approved lender. You cannot get MyHome at a random bank. It must come through the CalHFA-approved lender network. That is what we do.
The mistake that costs buyers $25,000+
Most big-bank loan officers do not write CalHFA loans, so they never mention them. Buyers hear "you need more money down" when the real answer was "you need a different program." If a lender told you no, that says something about the lender. It says nothing about you.
How repayment actually works
Say you buy a $700,000 townhome with a CalHFA FHA loan. MyHome lends you $24,500. You make normal payments on your main mortgage only. Seven years later, you sell the home. The $24,500, plus the small interest that built up, comes out of your sale money at closing. By then your home has had years to grow in value. There is no payment shock and no balloon surprise. The loan is disclosed clearly at closing and recorded like any second loan.
The interest builds slowly and never compounds. So the payoff grows at a slow, steady pace. For nearly every buyer, owning seven years sooner beats that slow interest by a wide margin.
MyHome vs. Dream For All: which one?
| MyHome | Dream For All | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | Up to 3.5% of price | Up to 20% of price |
| Availability | Funded year round. Apply any time | Limited voucher rounds via lottery |
| Repayment | What you borrowed + a little slow-growing interest. Nothing due until you sell | What you borrowed + a share of your home's rise in value |
| Extra requirement | First-time buyer | First-time and first-generation buyer |
Short version: Dream For All is bigger but rare, and you hand back a share of your home's growth. MyHome is smaller, cheaper long term, and open right now. Many buyers who wait for a Dream For All round could already own with MyHome.
Using MyHome in San Diego County
San Diego's median price for a detached home hovers around $1M. The CalHFA sweet spot is the county's deep pool of condos and townhomes between roughly $500,000 and $800,000. That covers Mission Valley, Rancho Bernardo, Otay Ranch in Chula Vista, Oceanside, El Cajon, Vista, and National City. CalHFA loans follow standard FHA and conventional loan size limits. FHA's San Diego County limit tops $1M in 2026. So nearly all entry-level homes are in range.
We run this playbook daily: San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside, Escondido, El Cajon. Each area page shows what MyHome looks like at local prices.
MyHome FAQ
How much assistance does MyHome provide in 2026?
MyHome provides a second loan with no monthly payment. It covers up to 3.5% of the purchase price with a CalHFA FHA loan, or up to 3% with a CalHFA conventional loan. If the home's appraised value is lower than the price, CalHFA uses that value instead. There is no dollar cap for FHA and conventional loans. VA and USDA loans are capped at $15,000.
Is there a monthly payment?
No. Nothing is due month to month for the life of the loan. A small amount of interest builds slowly in the background and never compounds. You repay when you sell the home, refinance your main mortgage, pay it off, or reach the end of the loan term.
Who qualifies in San Diego County?
You must be a first-time homebuyer, meaning no home ownership in the last 3 years. You must live in the home as your primary residence. You also complete an approved homebuyer education course, meet credit guidelines, and keep your monthly debt payments within program limits. Household income must sit under the CalHFA limit: $259,000 for San Diego County in 2026.
Can MyHome cover my whole down payment?
Often, yes. FHA requires 3.5% down and MyHome provides up to 3.5%. On many purchases the assistance covers the full minimum down payment. That leaves you responsible mainly for closing costs. The ZIP program or money the seller chips in can reduce those too.
Can I stack MyHome with other programs?
Yes. MyHome is built to stack with CalHFA main mortgages. CalPLUS loans add the ZIP zero-interest closing cost loan on top. Many buyers also layer in money the seller or lender chips in toward their costs. As of CalHFA Bulletin 2025-04, ZIP must be used together with MyHome.
Program details summarized from calhfa.ca.gov as of July 2026. CalHFA sets and may change all program terms; this page is educational and not a loan commitment.
See what MyHome is worth on your price.
One short quiz. About 60 seconds. No credit pull, no documents, no obligation. You see whether MyHome, ZIP, or Dream For All fits you best. You also see what the help is worth in dollars.