Every real program, organized by who runs it - with links to each agency's official pages and public rates, so what you read here is always current.
California's headline program: substantial down payment help in exchange for sharing a portion of your home's future appreciation. It runs as a short annual application window for eligible first-generation buyers - and you must already be pre-approved with a participating lender before the window opens. This is exactly why we start planning months ahead.
A deferred-payment junior loan covering a portion of your down payment and closing costs, layered on top of a CalHFA first mortgage. Unlike Dream For All, it's available year-round.
A CalHFA first mortgage (FHA or conventional) paired with ZIP - a zero-interest, deferred junior loan for closing costs. You repay it only when you sell, refinance, or pay off the loan.
Straight from the source (always current): All CalHFA programs · Dream For All updates · MyHome details · CalPLUS & ZIP details · CalHFA public rate sheet
Down payment and closing cost assistance as a gift or forgivable second, paired with an FHA or conventional first mortgage. No application windows or lotteries - it's available whenever you're ready, with flexible credit requirements and no first-time-buyer restriction on some options.
Buyers with steady income but limited savings - including many teachers, first responders and healthcare workers who qualify for enhanced 'Select' features. Assistance amounts and terms vary with the rate option you choose, which is where I earn my keep: structuring the combination that nets you the most.
Straight from the source: GSFA Platinum program details · GSFA current programs & published rates
A savings match program - every dollar you've saved gets matched several times over, up to the current annual cap - for first-time buyers within income limits, through participating lenders, with homebuyer education required. Funding is annual and goes fast.
Details and current funding: FHLB San Francisco - WISH · See also my Contra Costa assistance guide
Cities like Antioch and Concord run their own assistance programs, and county-level resources come and go with funding. I keep a running guide with each program's current status - and I check funding the week you're ready, not from a stale list.
The full local list: Down Payment Assistance in Contra Costa County · Antioch (AHOP) details
Unlike everything above, Smart Start is our own internal program - no outside agency, no waiting list, no lottery. If you're a first-time buyer under your county's income limit, qualifying happens right inside your pre-approval, and the grant goes toward your down payment. It can often stack with the agency programs on this page.
How it works: Smart Start grant details
Income limits, first-generation rules, and program pairings differ. In one free 15-minute call I'll tell you which of these you qualify for and in what combination - that answer is regularly worth tens of thousands.