Orange County buyers can get help with a down payment, but nearly all of it comes as a loan, not a gift. The main source is the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA). Its MyHome Assistance Program lends first-time buyers up to 3.5% of the purchase price or appraised value (whichever is less) with a CalHFA FHA loan, or up to 3% with a CalHFA conventional loan, with no monthly payments until you sell, refinance or pay off your first mortgage.
CalHFA's Dream For All program lends much more, up to 20% of the price or $150,000, whichever is less, in exchange for a share of your home's future appreciation, but it accepts applications only during set periods and awards vouchers by random drawing. Locally, the County of Orange runs a Mortgage Assistance Program for lower-income first-time buyers in unincorporated areas and participating cities, and some cities, such as Santa Ana, run their own.
Each program sets its own income limits, first-time buyer definition and education rules, and funding opens and closes, so confirm current availability and limits before you count on any of it. For the loan types themselves, see our guide to California home loans.
How CalHFA assistance reaches you
CalHFA does not lend directly to consumers. Its loans come through approved lenders, and each assistance loan is paired with a specific CalHFA first mortgage whose rate, loan limit, credit and debt-to-income rules come with it. CalHFA's January 2026 program matrices set minimum credit scores starting at 640 for its FHA loans and 680 for conventional loans, higher for borrowers with more debt.
Veterans and eligible service members should also compare a VA loan, which can allow a purchase with no down payment; see our VA Loans 101 guide.
MyHome: the standard state option
MyHome is a deferred-payment junior loan, a second loan recorded behind your first mortgage. It can cover the down payment, closing costs or both, but not debt payoff or cash back. It accrues simple interest, and principal and interest come due when you sell or transfer the home, refinance or pay off the first mortgage, or if a notice of default is recorded.
Every borrower must be a first-time homebuyer, move in as a primary residence within 60 days of closing, and fall within CalHFA's income limit for the county. Non-occupant co-borrowers and co-signers are not allowed. MyHome can be layered with some non-CalHFA assistance, but it must stay in second position.
CalPLUS with ZIP, and CalPLUS Access
CalPLUS pairs a first mortgage carrying a slightly higher 30-year fixed rate than CalHFA's standard loan with the Zero Interest Program (ZIP), plus MyHome. ZIP covers closing costs and prepaid items only, not the down payment. Under CalHFA's handbooks, it is 2% or 3% of the first mortgage amount depending on the rate-sheet option, charges no interest, and is repaid when you transfer the home or pay off or refinance the first mortgage.
CalPLUS Access instead pairs a first mortgage with MyAccess, a deferred loan of up to 2.5% of the first mortgage amount for the down payment or closing costs, again with MyHome. With CalPLUS, you accept a higher rate for the life of the first mortgage in exchange for less cash at closing, so compare the total cost of each combination with your loan officer.
Dream For All: shared appreciation
Dream For All provides up to 20% of the purchase price or appraised value, whichever is less, capped at $150,000, for the down payment and closing costs. It is used with a Dream For All conventional first mortgage and cannot be combined with MyHome. All borrowers must be first-time homebuyers, one must be a current California resident, and household income must fall within Dream For All's separate income limits.
At least one borrower must also be a first-generation homebuyer. Under CalHFA's definition, that means not having been on title, held an ownership interest or been named on a mortgage on a U.S. home in the last seven years, and either having parents who, to your knowledge, do not own a U.S. home (or did not at their death), or having been in foster or institutional care.
When you sell, transfer, pay off or refinance the first mortgage, you repay the original amount plus a share of any appreciation. CalHFA allows one limited cash-out refinance of the first mortgage without repayment if you meet its resubordination policy, and the loan is not assumable.
Buyers register for a voucher, and recipients are chosen by randomized drawing, not first come, first served. CalHFA closed its most recent voucher application period on March 16, 2026; whether and when applications reopen depends on funding.
How the appreciation share works
CalHFA's share equals the loan amount as a percentage of the home's value. For borrowers at or below 80% of area median income, measured with Fannie Mae's HomeReady lookup tool, the share is 0.75 times that percentage. Appreciation runs from the lower of the original price or appraised value to the current value as determined by CalHFA, and CalHFA's share is capped at 2.5 times the original loan amount.
The $150,000 cap matters in Orange County. On a hypothetical $1 million purchase, 20% would be $200,000, so the loan is capped at $150,000, or 15% of the value. If the home later sells for $1.2 million, CalHFA's 15% share of the $200,000 gain is $30,000, so you repay $180,000. At the reduced share for lower-income borrowers (11.25%), you would repay $172,500.
County and city programs
The County of Orange's Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP), run by OC Housing & Community Development with federal HOME funds, makes silent, deferred-payment loans to help lower-income first-time buyers with the down payment. It serves unincorporated areas and the participating cities the County lists: Brea, Cypress, Dana Point, La Palma, Laguna Beach, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Los Alamitos, Placentia, San Juan Capistrano, Seal Beach, Stanton, Villa Park and Yorba Linda.
The County describes a 3% simple interest loan with no payments for 30 years as long as you own and live in the home. Income limits are a percentage of area median income by household size, and the price cannot exceed a cap tied to Orange County's median home sales price. You must complete a homebuyer education workshop through a HUD-approved housing counseling agency and use a participating lender, and loans are made first come, first served.
The occupancy terms are strict. You must live in the home as your principal residence for the 30-year term unless you repay the loan and interest early. You may refinance with notice to the County if you take no cash out, and selling requires advance written notice and County approval, with the loan repaid from the sale proceeds.
Some cities run their own programs. Santa Ana's My First Home program, for example, offers deferred loans to income-eligible first-time buyers purchasing in Santa Ana. If you are buying elsewhere, check that city's housing division.
Who counts as a first-time buyer
CalHFA defines a first-time homebuyer as someone who has not had an ownership interest in a principal residence, or lived in a home owned by a spouse, in the previous three years. For MyHome, ZIP, MyAccess and Dream For All, every borrower must meet it, with narrow exceptions such as some buyers whose home was destroyed in a declared major disaster. Some CalHFA first mortgages used alone do not require it.
The federal definition for HUD's HOME program, which funds MAP, is similar: an individual and spouse who have not owned a home in the three years before the purchase. Displaced homemakers and single parents cannot be excluded just because they owned a home with a spouse, and having owned only a home not on a permanent foundation, or one that could not be brought up to code for less than the cost of a permanent structure, does not disqualify you. Check each program's own definition.
Income limits, price limits and education
CalHFA publishes one maximum income figure per county for its standard loans, plus separate Dream For All limits, and updates them periodically. For MyHome, it counts the income your lender uses to qualify you. CalHFA's handbooks do not list a separate purchase price limit; the first mortgage is capped at the FHA county limit or the conforming loan limit.
CalHFA requires homebuyer education for at least one occupying first-time borrower on each loan: eHome's eight-hour online course with a one-on-one counseling follow-up ($100), or live education in person or online through NeighborWorks America or a HUD-approved housing counseling agency, where fees vary. Certificates are good for one year. Dream For All adds a free one-hour online course on shared appreciation.
The trade-offs to weigh
- It is debt. Each loan is recorded against your home and repaid, usually from sale or refinance proceeds.
- Refinancing gets harder. Refinancing the first mortgage triggers repayment of MyHome, ZIP and MyAccess.
- Equity starts thin. CalHFA allows combined loans up to 105% of value, so an early sale could mean bringing money to closing.
- Appreciation has a price. With Dream For All, the more your home gains, the more you repay, up to the cap.
- Occupancy rules bind you. MAP requires owner occupancy for 30 years unless you repay.
- Extra costs. CalHFA requires a one-year home warranty for first-time buyers purchasing a resale home.
This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm terms with a CalHFA-approved loan officer or the program administrator, and read each note and deed of trust before you sign.
Putting it together
- Check first-time status, and first-generation status for Dream For All, under each program's definition.
- Compare your income with CalHFA's county limit and any local program's limits.
- Ask a CalHFA-approved or participating lender which combination fits, and compare total cost.
- Finish homebuyer education early.
- Get preapproved with the assistance built in, and budget for the true cost of owning a home in Orange County.
- Write offers with timelines your financing can meet; our step-by-step guide to buying a home in California walks through the process.
How Remark Homes can help
We help buyers match these programs to the cities and homes they are considering, coordinate timelines with the loan officer, and write offers that account for the financing. Learn about our financing support, or start your buyer representation agreement online.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to repay down payment assistance?
For the programs covered here, yes. CalHFA's loans are repaid when you sell, transfer, refinance or pay off the first mortgage, and the County's MAP is repaid with interest at the end of its 30-year term or earlier if you sell.
Can I combine MyHome with Dream For All?
No. CalHFA does not allow it, though both programs allow certain non-CalHFA assistance to be layered in.
Is Dream For All available now?
Applications are accepted only during set periods, and CalHFA closed its most recent application period on March 16, 2026. Check CalHFA's Dream For All page or ask a participating lender whether applications have reopened.
