This information guide on Single Family & First Time Homebuyer Programs was designed for potential homebuyers in the San Diego and Imperial County areas.
Learn to buy and maintain a home. You can call one of these non-profit agencies and enroll in a homebuying education class. Some of the following agencies will charge for materials. Some offer classes in Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog and Vietnamese.
Housing Opportunities Collaborative | Navicore Solutions |
Neighborhood House Association | Springboard Nonprofit Consumer Credit Management |
Money Management International |
First - Time Homebuyer Programs Cities offer assistance to qualified homebuyers in the form of a Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC), which is a tax credit allocated to first time homebuyers to help them qualify for a Larger First Mortgage, Down payment Assistance, Financing Assistance or Silent Second Mortgages. Learn more about each City's programs.
- Carlsbad Homebuyers Assistance Program
- Chula Vista Homebuyers Assistance Program
- El Cajon
- Escondido First Time Homebuyers
- La Mesa First Time Homebuyers
- National City First Time Homebuyers Program
- Oceanside Housing Department
- Poway
- San Marcos
- Vista
- San Diego First Time Homebuyers Information
Regarding the Imperial Valley areas, inquiries on First Time Homebuyer Programs may be directed to the following:
City of Calexico | Terri Nava | (760) 768-7490 |
City of El Centro | Marcela Pierdra | (760) 337-4543 |
City of Holtville | Nick Wells | (760) 356-2912 |
City of Imperial | Gracie Havermale | (760) 355-3335 |
City of Brawley | Eva Madueno or Francisco Soto | (760) 344-8622 |
The following list includes many of the loan programs available to residents of San Diego and Imperial Counties. You should check with local lenders about the loan packages that may interest you and for which you may qualify.
VA (Veterans Affairs): Insured by the Veterans Affairs Department of the federal government. VA loans are available through lending institutions; however, only eligible military veterans may apply.
CalVet: Only those veterans purchasing property in California and who were released honorably from active duty, having served at least 90 consecutive days during periods of war, are eligible for these loans.
FHA (Federal Housing Administration): Administered through the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), these loans are available from approved lenders. For more information, contact a lender of your choice or view the HUD website www.hud.gov.
CalFHA (California Housing Finance Agency): These loans are available through many of the established mortgage banking firms for first-time homebuyers.
FANNIE MAE (Federal National Mortgage Association): The Community Home Buyers Program (CHBP) is a mortgage program that was created by Fannie Mae in partnership with mortgage lenders and mortgage insurance companies. These companies work closely with state and local governments, as well as community groups, to provide affordable homeownership opportunities.
HUD is Online
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has one of the most widely recognized and award winning websites within the Federal Government. This site is a place where citizens, local governments, community organizations and elected officials can access information on all HUD programs, grants and services. In addition, local information is available about HUD homes and local investment and expenditures of HUD dollars.
Additionally, HUD Home sales in San Diego and Imperial Counties are administered by a marketing and management contractors. To view the list of available properties for sale go to: www.hudhomestore.gov
This site will give you a complete guide and description of the home buying process including broker information, updated property listings, the bidding process and details of various single family homebuyer programs such as Good Neighbor Next Door.
The HUD Santa Ana Homeownership Center (SAHOC) monitors all HUD Homes sales contractors in Southern California. If you have any questions, comments, or complaints, please call the FHA Resource Center at: (800) Call FHA / (800) 225-5342
TTY: (877) TDD2HUD or (877) 833-2483 or dial 7-1-1 (Not available in all areas.)
Email