CalHFA MyHome Assistance Program · Updated July 2026
Up to 3.5% of your purchase price. No monthly payment. That's MyHome.
MyHome is California's workhorse down payment assistance program — a second loan with no monthly bill that covers most or all of your minimum down payment. Here's exactly how it works in 2026, and how San Diego buyers use it.
MyHome in one sentence
CalHFA lends you up to 3.5% of the purchase price (FHA) or 3% (conventional) for your down payment or closing costs, you make no monthly payments on it, and you repay it only when you sell, refinance, or pay off the home.
What is the MyHome Assistance Program?
MyHome is a second, no-monthly-payment loan from the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) that sits quietly behind your main mortgage. It's what the industry calls a "silent second" — a loan with no monthly bill that waits quietly 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 adds up slowly in the background — it never compounds.
Unlike a grant, MyHome is repaid eventually — but because nothing is due while you live there, it solves the actual problem that keeps most Southern California renters renting: the years it takes to save a five-or-six-figure down payment while paying San Diego rent.
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 |
The old $15,000 cap was eliminated for FHA and conventional loans back in 2022, which transformed the program for high-cost counties like San Diego. On today's prices, that 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 |
Since FHA's minimum down payment is exactly 3.5%, MyHome frequently covers the entire minimum down payment. Your remaining cash need is mostly closing costs — which is where CalPLUS with ZIP, and money the seller chips in toward your costs, come in.
Who qualifies for MyHome?
- First-time homebuyer. You haven't owned and occupied a home in the last 3 years. (Owning a rental you never lived in usually doesn't 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 primary residence — single-family homes, condos, townhomes, and most manufactured homes qualify.
- Credit and monthly debts. Generally a mid-600s credit score or better, with the share of your monthly income going to debt payments inside program guidelines; exact thresholds depend on the loan type and the loan review.
- Homebuyer education. One borrower completes an approved course (a few hours, online) and gets a certificate before closing.
- CalHFA-approved lender. You can't get MyHome at a random bank — it must be originated through the CalHFA-approved lender network. That's what we do.
The mistake that costs buyers $25,000+
Most big-bank loan officers don't originate CalHFA loans, so they never mention them. Buyers get told "you need more money down" when the correct answer was "you need a different program." If a lender has told you no, that's a data point about the lender — not about you.
How repayment actually works
Say you buy a $700,000 townhome with a CalHFA FHA loan and receive $24,500 from MyHome. You make normal payments on your main mortgage only. Seven years later you sell the home. The $24,500 — plus the small amount of interest that built up — is paid automatically out of your sale proceeds at closing, at a time when your home has grown in value. No payment shock, no balloon surprise mid-ownership, no hidden claim on your home: it's disclosed clearly at closing and recorded like any second loan.
The interest adds up slowly in the background and never compounds, so the payoff grows slowly and predictably. For nearly every buyer, the math of owning seven years earlier beats that slow-growing 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 | Continuously funded — 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 scarce — and you hand back a share of your home's growth; MyHome is smaller but reliable, cheaper long-term, and available right now. Many buyers who wait around for a Dream For All round could have already been homeowners with MyHome.
Using MyHome in San Diego County
San Diego's median price hovers around $1M for detached homes, but the CalHFA sweet spot is the county's deep inventory of condos and townhomes between roughly $500,000 and $800,000 — Mission Valley, Rancho Bernardo, Chula Vista's Otay Ranch, Oceanside, El Cajon, Vista, 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 inventory is 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 price points.
MyHome FAQ
How much assistance does MyHome provide in 2026?
Up to 3.5% of the purchase price (or the home's appraised value, if that's lower) with a CalHFA FHA main mortgage, or up to 3% with a CalHFA conventional main mortgage. No dollar cap for FHA/conventional; VA and USDA pairings are capped at $15,000.
Is there a monthly payment?
No. Nothing is due month to month for the life of the loan. You repay when you sell, refinance, or pay off the home.
Who qualifies in San Diego County?
First-time buyers (no ownership in 3 years) buying a home they'll live in, with household income under $259,000 (2026), acceptable credit, a manageable share of monthly income going to debt payments, and a completed homebuyer education certificate.
Can MyHome cover my whole down payment?
With FHA, often yes — FHA needs 3.5% down and MyHome provides up to 3.5%. Closing costs remain, which ZIP and money the seller chips in can reduce further.
Can I stack MyHome with other programs?
Yes — that's the design. CalPLUS main mortgages add the ZIP zero-interest closing-cost loan on top of MyHome (per CalHFA Bulletin 2025-04, ZIP now requires MyHome). Money the seller or lender chips in toward your costs can stack too.
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.
Find out what 3.5% means for you.
Answer a few questions and get your personalized down payment game plan — including whether MyHome, ZIP, or Dream For All fits your situation best.