Down payment assistance in San Diego
Amir Nurani · NMLS #197458 · (619) 366-9494
Read the 2026 down payment assistance guide
Down payment assistance is a named city, county, or state program that layers a second loan or grant behind a first mortgage. It is not the same as a low-down first mortgage. Funding opens and closes. Do not write an offer that depends on assistance until the program, funding, and first-mortgage pairing are confirmed.
How these programs usually work
Most local programs are deferred junior loans, not free money. You typically occupy the home as your primary residence, complete homebuyer education, and meet income and purchase-price rules. City of San Diego (San Diego Housing Commission), County of San Diego, and CalHFA programs are separate. The property address decides which agency applies.
Confirm the file before you count the money
Some files we can originate. Some require a participating lender for that specific program. We are not claiming Left Coast Leaders is an SDHC participating lender. If a program is a fit, we will say whether we can originate it or whether you need a participating channel.
2026 fact: San Diego buyers can look at CalHFA MyHome, San Diego Housing Commission programs inside city ZIP codes, County of San Diego programs outside the city, and CalHFA Dream For All when a voucher round is open.
2026 published SDHC middle-income materials on our DPA guide show $50,000 total assistance, structured as a $40,000 deferred down-payment loan plus a $10,000 closing-cost grant, and a $1,250,000 purchase-price figure. Those numbers change with funding. Re-check SDHC before you count them in an offer. City programs generally apply to 921 ZIP codes. The first mortgage still has to fit the 2026 1-unit San Diego County high-cost conforming line of $1,104,000 when the file is conventional or FHA.
Related reading: Down Payment Assistance Programs for San Diego Buyers 2026.
First-time buyers comparing FHA 3.5% down, VA $0 down, and assistance in 2026 can start on first-time homebuyer loans in San Diego (2026).
Frequently asked questions
No. Down payment assistance is a named city, county, or state program that layers a second loan or grant behind a first mortgage. It is not the same as a low-down first mortgage. Funding opens and closes.
Most local programs are deferred junior loans, not free money. You typically occupy the home as your primary residence, complete homebuyer education, and meet income and purchase-price rules. City of San Diego (San Diego Housing Commission), County of San Diego, and CalHFA programs are separate. The property address decides which agency applies.
Some files we can originate. Some require a participating lender for that specific program. We are not claiming Left Coast Leaders is an SDHC participating lender. If a program is a fit, we will say whether we can originate it or whether you need a participating channel.
Ready for clear numbers?
Start with a quick pre-approval. It only takes a couple of minutes.
Get Pre-ApprovedLeft Coast Leaders, Inc. · NMLS #2394495 · DRE #02191517 · Equal Housing Lender