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A first-time homebuyer is someone who has not lived in *and* been on title of a primary residence in the past three years. If you've been renting for the past three years, and previously owned a home, then you're considered a first-time homebuyer.

Your lender will need to follow either Fannie Mae or FHA underwriting guidelines for the length of time needed between the bankruptcy and new loan. Talk to a CalHFA Preferred Loan Officer for more details. https://welcomehome.calhfa.ca.gov/directory

All of the documents on CalHFA's web site use either Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, etc.) or are in the PDF format. To read PDF files, you will have to download the free Adobe Reader at the link below. https://acrobat.adobe.com/us/en/acrobat/pdf-reader.html

The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) was established in 1975 as the state’s affordable housing bank. CalHFA makes low interest rate loans to first-time homebuyers and multifamily developers through the sale of tax-exempt bonds and other financing tools. CalHFA is a self-supporting state agency, with bonds being repaid by revenues generated through mortgage loans, not taxpayer dollars.

CalHFA down payment loans cannot be forgiven, although they can be subordinated in certain refinance cases. Here's the info on subordinations: http://www.calhfa.ca.gov/homeownership/programs/subordination.pdf

You can find information on becoming a listing agent or performing BPOs for CalHFA properties here: http://www.calhfa.ca.gov/homeownership/brokers.htm

Keep Your Home California was a federally-funded program to help California homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages. California distributed over $2 billion over the course of the program, working with housing counselors and servicers to provide assistance to eligible homeowners and prevent avoidable foreclosures. The program has ended, but you can find more information on Keep Your Home California on their web site at: http:// www.KeepYourHomeCalifornia.org

The home mortgage market can change quickly, so the homebuyer education certificate is good for one year.

As of 2019, CalHFA does not require tax returns, transcripts or affidavits with loan submissions.

CalHFA Board meetings are open to the public and are held bi-monthly. To see a calendar and monthly agendas, visit the Board Meetings page.

The legislature has allocated new funding for the program for 2026, and we anticipate the program portal opening in the winter. Please check back after the New Year for updates. If you'd rather not wait, we offer several loan programs for first-time homebuyers. I’d suggest you chat with one of our Preferred Loan Officers—if you’re interested in buying your first home, they’ll get you started right. Here’s our list, searchable by county: https://welcomehome.calhf  More...

For CalHFA loans, everyone on title must be on the loan, and everyone on the loan must be on title. A non-borrowing spouse would not be allowed on title.

CalHFA currently does not use bonds for financing its first mortgage programs, and you can combine our mortgage programs with MCCs from other sources.

Unfortunately, no. People can only go on title if they're also on the loan.

CalHFA is governed by its Board of Directors .

We require that our down payment assistance programs be used with a CalHFA first, so unfortunately a HomePath loan would not work.

You may qualify as a first-time homebuyer, but unfortunately, you wouldn't be able to use our programs to purchase this type of mobile home: the mobile home is taxed as personal property instead of real estate, which makes it ineligible

All media calls should be directed to Kathy Phillips, Director of Marketing, at 916.326.8600.

CalHFA cannot give tax advice or financial counsel, as every home and owner presents a unique situation, and we do not have financial advisors on staff. The best thing to do would be to consult a tax attorney or CPA to find the implications of a short sale on your home, as state and federal regulations can be very confusing. The best course of action to find out about the tax implications of any aspect of your home is to talk with a financial advisor.

Unfortunately, all ADU Grant funds were used as of this past December, and the legislature has not allocated any new funding for the program. Since there is no funding for the program, there is not currently any wait list or application. Your local city or county may have incentives for building an ADU, so check that out.

For public record act requests, call 916.326.8481 or email publicrecords@calhfa.ca.gov .

A borrower who is living in the property as their primary residence may rent a room without any approval from CalHFA. The customer must make the full payment. For instance, they cannot send in two checks, one from them and one from the renter.

The best solution is to take a look at our CalEEM + Grant program, which combines a normal EEM with an additional 4% grant for energy upgrades. You can use our MyHome Assistance Program or School Program with this loan. Here's all the details. http://calhfa.ca.gov/homebuyer/programs/eem.htm​

Executive Director: Tia Boatman Patterson Chief Deputy Director: Don Cavier Director of Legislation: Francesc Marti Director of Homeownership: Tim Hsu Director of Administration: Jennifer Leboeuf Director of Marketing: Kathy Phillips General Counsel: Claire Tauriainen