What is your
residency status?
A 2025 federal rule change (HUD Mortgagee Letter 2025-09, effective May 25, 2025) eliminated FHA loan eligibility for non-permanent residents. This determines which programs are available to you from the start.
Are you or your spouse a
veteran or active duty?
VA loans offer 0% down payment, no mortgage insurance, and competitive rates. The VA funding fee can be waived entirely for veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 10% or higher.
Household income
& size?
Combined gross income for all borrowers before taxes. Household size affects your AMI bracket and which programs you qualify for — even at the same income level.
Annual household incomeTotal monthly debt
payments?
We use each program's back-end DTI limit to calculate your maximum qualifying payment and estimated price range. The more accurate this number, the more precise your results.
Don't count: rent, utilities, subscriptions, phone, groceries, insurance
Estimated credit score?
Use your middle score from the three credit bureaus, or the score from any recent monitoring service. Each tier unlocks or restricts specific programs.
Which county are
you buying in?
Each county has its own AMI limits, local DPA programs, and eligible cities. You can switch counties on the results screen at any time — your other answers are always saved.
Have you owned a home
in the last 3 years?
Every CalHFA program, all county DPA programs, USDA, and most city programs define a first-time homebuyer as someone who has not owned a primary residence in the past 3 years. This gates most of the programs in your results.
Property type — and
do you have an address?
Property type affects FHA condo approval, CalHFA manufactured home rules, and city DPA eligibility. An address unlocks two census tract programs Adriel can originate as a correspondent lender.
Census tract grants — no income limit: Certain SoCal census tracts qualify for outright grants of $5,000–$7,500 that stack on top of any first mortgage. No income restriction applies in eligible areas.
LMI tract programs — up to 120% AMI: Some addresses qualify for 3% down programs with no private mortgage insurance, available up to 120% AMI. Eligibility is tract-specific — a property a few blocks away may or may not qualify.
Rural designation — 0% down: Eligible pockets exist across all 4 SoCal counties. A rural designation unlocks 0% down financing with no mortgage insurance equivalent — determined by the exact address, not the city or zip code.
Employment situation?
CalHFA does not permit manual underwriting — self-employed buyers under 2 years cannot use CalHFA programs. Employment type affects income documentation and which compensating factors apply.
Savings & available
assets?
Several programs require a minimum buyer contribution from your own funds — typically 1–3% of the purchase price. This helps us show you which programs you can realistically close on, and flag when a gift from a family member could unlock more options.