Up to 3.5% of your purchase price. No monthly payment. That's MyHome.

What is the MyHome Assistance Program?

MyHome is a junior loan from the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) that sits quietly behind your main mortgage. The industry calls it a "silent second" because it makes no noise in your monthly budget: payments are deferred for the life of the loan. Simple interest accrues at a low rate, and the balance comes due when you sell the home, refinance the first mortgage, or finish paying it off.

Unlike a grant, MyHome is repaid eventually — but because it's deferred, 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?

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:

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 seller credits 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.
• Owner-occupied. The home must be your primary residence — single-family homes, condos, townhomes, and most manufactured homes qualify.
• Credit and DTI. Generally a mid-600s credit score or better and debt-to-income within program guidelines; exact thresholds depend on the loan type and automated underwriting.
• 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.

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 first mortgage only. Seven years later you sell the home. At closing, escrow repays the $24,500 plus the simple interest that accrued — out of your sale proceeds, at a time when you have equity. No payment shock, no balloon surprise mid-ownership, no lien you didn't know about: it's disclosed clearly at closing and recorded like any second.

Because it's simple (not compounding) interest at a modest rate, the payoff grows slowly and predictably. For nearly every buyer, the math of owning seven years earlier beats the accrued interest by a wide margin.

MyHome vs. Dream For All: which one?

Short version: Dream For All is bigger but scarce and appreciation-sharing; 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 loan amounts follow standard FHA and conventional loan limits (over $1M for FHA high-balance in San Diego County 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

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.