Buying · Orange County
Down payment help in Orange County comes from three places. A few cities run their own loan programs, the County runs one for a set list of cities and unincorporated areas, and the State runs programs that work anywhere in California. Where the home is located decides which ones you can use. Here's what each program offers under its current terms.
Updated November 2026. Program terms change, so confirm with each program before you plan around it.
Six programs, who runs each one and where it applies. The details for each program follow below.
City of Santa Ana
Up to $120,000
0% interest, deferred 30 or 45 years
Where: homes in Santa Ana
City of Anaheim
$50,000 toward the down payment
1% simple interest, deferred 30 years
Where: homes in Anaheim
City of Garden Grove
Up to $110,000 (low income) or $50,000 (moderate income)
0% interest, deferred 30 years
Where: homes in Garden Grove
County of Orange
Up to $80,000, no more than 20% of the price
3% simple interest, deferred 30 years
Where: unincorporated Orange County and 14 listed cities
CalHFA
Up to 3.5% of the price (FHA) or 3% (conventional)
Deferred-payment junior loan
Where: statewide, with a CalHFA first mortgage
CalHFA
Up to 20% of the price, up to $150,000
Shared appreciation; the 2026 round is closed
Where: statewide, for first-generation buyers
The City of Santa Ana offers first-time buyers a deferred loan of up to $120,000 at 0% interest for a home in Santa Ana, with a 30- or 45-year term depending on the funding source. The City is currently accepting applications only from households at or below 80% of area median income. Buyers need at least 3% of the purchase price in their own savings, held for at least 90 days, plus a credit score of at least 640 and pre-qualification for a fixed-rate mortgage. They must also complete an eight-hour homebuyer course from a HUD-approved agency. Applications are reviewed first come, first served, with a preference for veterans and for people who live or work in Santa Ana.
My Anaheim Home is a $50,000 loan that goes toward the down payment. It carries 1% simple interest and is deferred for 30 years, with no monthly payments. Buyers put in at least 3% of the price themselves, household income can be up to 150% of area median income, and the price can't exceed the average home purchase price in Anaheim. Single-family homes, townhomes and condos qualify. Priority goes to people who have lived or worked in Anaheim for the past 12 months.
Garden Grove offers a 30-year deferred loan at 0% interest for down payment and closing costs: up to $110,000 for low-income households or up to $50,000 for moderate-income households. Buyers need at least 3% down, can't have owned a home in the last three years and must complete a homebuyer course with a HUD-approved agency. Total housing costs can't exceed 45% of household income.
We didn't find a City-run down payment loan in these four cities as of November 2026. Tustin states directly that it doesn't currently offer a first-time homebuyer program.
Tustin does have more than 270 affordable ownership homes with resale restrictions. Income-qualified buyers who will live in the home can buy one at a price the City calculates, with a silent second mortgage and a 45-year affordability period. Buyers put in at least 3% of the price themselves. The owners sell these homes, and the City doesn't keep a waiting list.
In Orange, Fullerton and Costa Mesa, the state programs below are the main options. Each city's housing staff can tell you whether a new program has opened.
The County of Orange's Mortgage Assistance Program (MAP) lends up to $80,000, capped at 20% of the purchase price. It carries 3% simple interest, with payments deferred for 30 years. The loan comes due sooner if you sell, transfer or refinance, or if you stop living in the home. MAP is for low-income first-time buyers, with household income up to 80% of area median income. Buyers contribute at least 1% of the price, plus closing costs.
Only unincorporated Orange County and these 14 cities: 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. It doesn't cover Santa Ana, Anaheim, Orange, Tustin, Fullerton, Costa Mesa or Garden Grove.
A mailing address can name one of those seven cities even when the home sits on unincorporated County land, and those homes can qualify. Check the parcel, not the mailing address.
The program administrator's page currently shows both "closed" and "accepting applications" notices, so confirm MAP's status with the County before you apply.
See the County's MAP Information →MyHome is a deferred-payment junior loan for down payment or closing costs. With an FHA first mortgage, it covers up to 3.5% of the purchase price or appraised value, whichever is lower. With a conventional first mortgage, it covers up to 3%. It's only available with a CalHFA first mortgage through a CalHFA-approved lender. Buyers must be first-time buyers and meet CalHFA's income limits for the county, and at least one first-time borrower must complete homebuyer education.
See CalHFA's MyHome Page →Dream For All is a shared appreciation loan for first-generation buyers. At least one borrower must be a buyer whose parents have never owned a home in the U.S., and all borrowers must be first-time buyers. It covers up to 20% of the price or appraised value, up to $150,000.
There's no interest on the loan. Instead, when you sell, transfer or pay off the loan, you repay the original amount plus a share of the home's appreciation. The share is 20%, or 15% for households at or below 80% of area median income.
The program runs in rounds, and vouchers go to registrants chosen by random drawing. The 2026 registration ran from February 24 to March 16 and is now closed. CalHFA's page doesn't list a new registration period.
See CalHFA's Dream For All Page →The details differ, but most of these programs share the same basic requirements:
First-time status: usually no home ownership in the past three years
Income limits: based on household size and updated each year
Owner occupancy: you must live in the home
Homebuyer education: a course from a HUD-approved agency (or eHome online, for CalHFA)
Some of your own money: usually 3% of the price for the city programs, and 1% plus closing costs for MAP
Some buyers use more than one program. Each program, and your first-mortgage lender, has its own rules on what can be combined, so ask both before you plan around two. Also check when each loan comes due. Deferred loans are often due when you sell, refinance or move out, not only at the end of the term.
Among the cities we cover, Santa Ana (My First Home), Anaheim (My Anaheim Home) and Garden Grove run their own down payment loan programs. Orange, Tustin, Fullerton and Costa Mesa didn't have a City-run loan as of November 2026.
No. MAP covers unincorporated Orange County and 14 listed cities, and Santa Ana, Anaheim, Orange, Tustin, Fullerton, Costa Mesa and Garden Grove aren't among them. A home with one of those cities in its mailing address can still qualify if it sits on unincorporated County land.
Not right now. The 2026 registration closed on March 16, and vouchers went to registrants chosen by random drawing. CalHFA's page doesn't list a new registration period yet.
Tustin doesn't currently offer a first-time homebuyer loan. It does have more than 270 affordable ownership homes with resale restrictions, sold to income-qualified buyers at a price the City sets.
Yes. Evelyn works with buyers in English and Spanish. Hablamos español.
ICONQ is an Orange County real estate team, and Evelyn works with buyers in English and Spanish. If you're using a down payment program, we'll help you line up the timing between the program, your lender and the seller, and confirm the home is in the right city limits before you make an offer.
Talk to Evelyn →Each city guide covers that city's buyer programs, rental rules and what to check before you buy.
Tell us where you're looking and which program you're considering. We'll help you check the city limits, the timing and the property before you make an offer.