Down Payment Assistance · CalHFA · GSFA · Chenoa

You don't need 20% down to buy in California.

Most lenders won't tell you that.

We're the #1 CalHFA lender in Southern California — every year since 2022 — and we've closed 1,500+ loans including DPA in that time. We know every program. We close in 21 days when the industry takes 45.

Schedule a Free DPA Consultation See If You Qualify

Family Run · Client Driven · This is how lending should be.

Why this matters

The buyers who need DPA the most are the ones most likely to be told "no."

Most loan officers know one program. Usually CalHFA MyHome. They quote it, you don't qualify or it doesn't fit your scenario, and you walk away thinking homeownership isn't for you.

That's not the truth. The truth is California has multiple active DPA programs in 2026, and the right one usually drops your cash-to-close from "I need $50,000 in the bank" to "I need closing costs and a few thousand in reserves." Most buyers we close come in convinced they couldn't — and walk out with keys.

We've closed 1,500+ loans since 2022, a meaningful share of them DPA. Our top originator was a CalHFA underwriter before she was a loan officer — that dual perspective is rare, and it's why our files close clean when other lenders hit conditions.

1,500+
Loans closed
including DPA
#1
CalHFA Lender, SoCal
2022 to present
21
Average days to close
vs. industry 45
Top 1%
Mortgage Originators
in the United States
If you've been here before

You've probably already been told one of these.

Every objection on this list is a lender problem, not a buyer problem.

i.
"You need 20% down."
You don't. With CalHFA MyHome plus GSFA Platinum, most of our buyers come in with under $5,000 cash-to-close.
ii.
"You make too much for first-time programs."
Income limits are higher than people assume. San Bernardino County's CalHFA limit is well into six figures for most household sizes. We'll tell you in five minutes whether you fit.
iii.
"Your credit's not good enough."
Most CalHFA programs go down to 640. Chenoa Fund pairs with FHA at 580+. There is almost always a path.
iv.
"DPA programs take forever to close."
They take forever when the lender doesn't know what they're doing. Our average is 21 days. We do this every day.
v.
"It's basically free money — must be a scam."
It isn't. Some programs are grants, some are deferred seconds you repay when you sell, some are silent seconds. We'll explain exactly what you're signing — every line of it — before you sign it.
What we offer

Every active California DPA program, under one roof.

Most lenders quote whichever program pays them best. We work with all of them — and we'll tell you honestly which one fits your scenario, with the trade-offs spelled out before you sign anything.

CalHFA · State

CalHFA MyHome Assistance

Best for: Most first-time California buyers under county income limits — the foundation of almost every DPA file we structure.
A 3% (3.5% for first-time buyers) deferred-payment second mortgage covering down payment and closing costs. Pairs with FHA, VA, or conventional.
The honest part It's still a debt — repayable when you sell, refinance, or transfer ownership. Not free money.
GSFA · State

GSFA Platinum Grant

Best for: Buyers who want clean financing without a second lien on title — and a true grant rather than a deferred debt.
A 3–5% non-repayable grant from the Golden State Finance Authority. No second mortgage. No repayment if you sell.
The honest part Smaller dollar amount than deferred-second programs. Income limits and 640+ FICO typically required.
CalHFA · State

CalHFA ZIP — Zero Interest

Best for: Buyers who already have down payment savings but need the $8,000–$15,000 of closing costs covered.
Closing-cost assistance only. Deferred-payment, repayable on sale or refinance.
The honest part Doesn't help with the down payment itself. Niche, but the right tool for the right scenario.
Chenoa · National

Chenoa Fund (FHA-paired)

Best for: Buyers between 580–639 FICO who don't qualify for CalHFA's 640 minimum.
Second-mortgage or grant variants paired specifically with FHA loans. Lower credit threshold — some products accept 580+.
The honest part Only pairs with FHA, so you inherit FHA's mortgage insurance for the life of the loan.
City · County

Local City & County Programs

Best for: Buyers in California cities and counties that run their own first-time-buyer assistance programs alongside the state options.
Many California municipalities allocate annual funding for local first-time buyers. Programs vary widely — grants, deferred seconds, silent seconds. We handle the paperwork and tell you what's currently available where you're looking.
The honest part Local programs are almost always first come, first served on a yearly funding pool — and when the money's gone, it's gone, often well before year-end. Worth asking about the day you start your search.
Why now

Don't let the down payment keep you on the sidelines.

The buyers we close most often aren't the ones with $80,000 in savings. They're the ones who almost talked themselves out of it — the teacher in Ontario, the warehouse manager in Fontana, the medical assistant in Riverside — who came in convinced homeownership wasn't for them and walked out with keys.

Every year you stay on the fence, two things move the wrong way: rent goes up, and home prices go up. The gap between what you've saved and what you'd need keeps growing. That's the hamster wheel — and it's not your fault. Most loan officers haven't told you the real story.

Here's the real story: the down payment is almost never the actual obstacle. The obstacle is finding someone who knows the programs, can read your file the way an underwriter does, and will fight to get you to "yes."

Talk to us. We'll find a way — and we'll make a plan.

By the end of one twenty-minute call, you'll know
i.
Your real cash-to-close. The actual dollar figure — usually a fraction of what you've been assuming.
ii.
Which programs fit you right now, and which would fit in 3–6 months if we tighten one or two things first.
iii.
A written plan. Your timeline, your next step, and exactly what we'll handle from here.

No rate quotes without a credit pull. No pressure to apply today. No surprises.

Get My Free Plan Or call (909) 944-8800
About the team

Family run. Built for the buyers most lenders don't want to take on.

The Brandon Drew Group is a family-run mortgage firm in Rancho Cucamonga, affiliated with Guaranteed Rate (NMLS #2611). Our top originator was a CalHFA underwriter before becoming a loan officer — she evaluated DPA files for approval before she ever wrote one. That dual perspective is rare, and it's why our files close clean.

We're listed on CalHFA's official lender database. Featured in the Los Angeles Times and the Inland Empire Business Journal. Top 1% of mortgage originators in the country. Bilingual when you need it — English and Spanish, in-house.

What we won't do.

—
We won't quote rates without pulling credit. Anyone who does is lying to you. Every lender quoting a rate without verifying credit can't actually honor that rate.
—
We won't push conventional loans on buyers who'd do better with FHA. The commission incentive is real and we ignore it.
—
We won't disappear after closing. We send 5-, 10-, and 20-year anniversary check-ins because the relationship doesn't end at funding.
—
We won't communicate through portal emails that go to spam. We text. We call. We show up. The relationship deserves the friction of human contact.
Ready when you are

Stop saving for a 20% down payment that California first-time buyers don't actually need.

A twenty-minute call tells you which programs you qualify for, what your real cash-to-close looks like, and what kind of home that actually buys you in 2026. No pressure, no rate quotes without a credit pull, no surprises.

Schedule My Free Consultation Apply Now

Family Run · Client Driven · This is how lending should be.