Sacramento Down Payment Assistance (CalHFA & GSFA)
Sacramento sits in a sweet spot: capital-region jobs with prices well below the coast, so California's down payment programs close a lot of homes here. Here is how buyers use CalHFA and GSFA across the region.
How down payment assistance works in Sacramento
Sacramento is where California’s programs do some of their best work, prices are reachable, so a 3% to 5% assistance amount covers a meaningful chunk of the down payment and closing costs. GSFA Platinum gives up to 5% of the loan with no first-time requirement, which suits the region’s many move-up buyers. CalHFA MyHome adds a deferred second, and Dream For All, in an open round, can push a first-generation buyer straight to 20% down. Because CalHFA is headquartered here, local lenders know these programs cold, and we close them across the four-county region.
Buying across the Sacramento region
The region spreads across four counties, each with room. In Sacramento County, the southern and Delta-adjacent areas, Elk Grove and toward Galt, hold newer, more affordable homes. Placer County, Roseville, Rocklin, and Lincoln, draws buyers who want newer construction. Yolo County, West Sacramento and Woodland, and El Dorado County toward the foothills round out the map. Prices here keep buyers under the CalHFA limits more easily than on the coast, which is why assistance closes so many deals.
First-time and repeat buyers in Sacramento
Sacramento has a healthy mix of both, and the programs split cleanly. First-time buyers get the widest menu, MyHome, Dream For All, and GSFA Platinum. Repeat buyers, someone relocating from the Bay Area who already owns, lean on GSFA Platinum because it carries no first-time-buyer rule. Either way, a 640 credit score opens the door, and we match you to the program that leaves the most in your pocket. See our eligibility page.
CalHFA and GSFA set income and sales-price limits by county, and those limits are higher in high-cost California counties than in the Central Valley. CalHFA publishes the current figures on the CalHFA income-limit lookup; GSFA publishes its own on the GSFA site. Confirm your county before relying on one number. See our eligibility page.
Common questions
What down payment assistance is available in Sacramento?
Sacramento buyers can use GSFA Platinum (up to 5% of the loan, no first-time requirement), CalHFA MyHome (a 3% to 3.5% deferred second), and, when a round is open, CalHFA Dream For All (up to 20% of the price for first-time, first-generation buyers). Sacramento's mid-range prices let these cover a large share of the up-front cost.
Can move-up buyers get help in Sacramento?
Yes. GSFA Platinum has no first-time-buyer requirement, so a repeat buyer, including someone relocating from the Bay Area who already owns, can qualify for up to 5% of the loan as a grant or second. CalHFA MyHome and Dream For All are limited to first-time buyers.
Which Sacramento-area counties do the programs cover?
The statewide CalHFA and GSFA programs cover the whole four-county region, Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, and El Dorado counties, with income and price limits set per county. Elk Grove, Roseville, Rocklin, and West Sacramento are common areas where the limits and prices line up.
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