Buy with a complete budget.
Compare the loan, down payment, insurance, taxes, HOA dues, and cash you want left after closing. Tell me if you are keeping or selling an existing home.
Build your purchase plan ↗Home / California
California mortgage resource center
One state.
A plan for your next move.
Buy a home, review a refinance, or access home equity anywhere in California. Start with the county, the property, and what you want the financing to accomplish.
I’m Aaron Clowes, a Sacramento-based mortgage advisor and Air Force veteran with 24 years in lending. I work remotely with California borrowers, comparing the payment, upfront cash, and long-term tradeoffs—not just the rate.
Choose your starting point
What do you want to do?
Give the new loan a job.
Look at cost recovery, remaining debt, insurance, and the payoff date. A lower monthly payment needs context, especially if it restarts a longer term.
Evaluate a refinance ↗Compare the debt you keep and the debt you add.
Review a HELOC, fixed or other home equity loan, and cash-out refinance together. Consider your existing first mortgage before replacing it.
Explore equity options ↗2026 · All 58 counties
Your county changes the loan comparison.
California’s one-unit conforming limits range from $832,750 to $1,249,125 in 2026. FHA forward limits are a separate set of numbers and can be lower—even in the same county.
Use the complete county reference for one- through four-unit properties. Compare the loan amount with the limit, not the sale price. Being under a limit does not establish eligibility or the down payment required.
Open the county limit tool ↗A difference worth checking
- Sacramento · one unit
- Conforming $832,750
FHA $764,750 - Los Angeles · one unit
- Conforming $1,249,125
FHA $1,249,125
Official FHFA and HUD 2026 data. Limits are program ceilings, not approval amounts.
California purchase resources
Look beyond the assistance headline.
Start with the property location, household income, first-time-buyer definition, and approved first mortgage. Then find out whether the assistance is a grant, deferred loan, forgivable debt, or shared-appreciation arrangement.
State housing programs
CalHFA offers first-mortgage and assistance options with program-specific conditions. MyHome is a junior loan, not an unconditional grant. Confirm current lender participation and funding.
Read the MyHome guide ↗Another California assistance path
GSFA Platinum has its own offering and participating lender requirements. Ask for the exact assistance structure, paired mortgage pricing, and repayment or forgiveness conditions.
Explore GSFA considerations ↗Start with the address
City and county programs may have limited funding, geographic boundaries, education requirements, or resale restrictions. Review official housing-agency information for the actual property.
Plan a local-program review ↗Dream For All is a separate CalHFA shared-appreciation program with application and selection rules. Do not assume applications are open or funds reserved. Check the official CalHFA status before making it part of an offer. Program information here does not represent a funding reservation or a promise that every program is available through Aaron.
Regional planning without guesswork
The address matters more than a regional label.
| Property or location | What deserves an early review | Useful next step |
|---|---|---|
| Higher-cost coastal and metro purchases | County conforming limit, actual loan amount, liquidity, and jumbo alternatives. A high sale price does not automatically require a jumbo loan. | Compare jumbo financing |
| Newer developments across California | Parcel-specific special taxes or assessments, HOA dues, and insurance. Two homes at the same price can have different total costs. | Build the full payment |
| Foothill, mountain, and wildfire-exposed properties | Insurance availability, premium, deductibles, coverage, and lender acceptance before committing to the payment estimate. | CDI insurance resources |
| Inland, valley, and other potentially rural addresses | USDA property eligibility and household rules. A county or small-town label alone does not establish eligibility. | Check USDA eligibility |
| Condos and common-interest developments | Project eligibility, master insurance, dues, reserves, and special assessments in addition to borrower approval. | Discuss the specific property |
| A home with an ADU or an ADU project | Permits, unit classification, appraisal treatment, construction budget, and whether proposed rent is usable for qualification. | California HCD ADU resources |
These are property questions, not assumptions about every home in a region. A coastal property can have insurance issues; a rural-looking address may be outside USDA eligibility. Review the actual address and documents.
For California homeowners
Keep the existing mortgage in the comparison.
Before refinancing
Bring your current rate, balance, remaining term, mortgage insurance, and intended holding period. Compare keeping the loan with a replacement at the same future date. Identify transaction costs separately from prepaid items and escrow funding.
Refinancing alone generally does not change ownership for assessment purposes when the same owners remain on title. Changes to ownership or construction can require a separate tax review; ask the county assessor before assuming your assessment stays the same.
Work through closing-cost break-even ↗Before borrowing equity
A HELOC or separate home equity loan can preserve the existing first mortgage, while cash-out refinancing replaces it. Compare the combined payment, variable-rate exposure, fees, and remaining debt over your planned repayment period.
For an ADU, renovation, or debt-consolidation plan, define the amount and timing before choosing the product. Equity is not the same as approved borrowing power. Do not assume proposed rent or a future value will automatically qualify the loan.
Compare equity access with a low first rate ↗The complete California payment
Plan for the costs beyond principal and interest.
Purchase reassessment, supplemental tax bills, Mello-Roos or other assessments, homeowners insurance, and HOA obligations can materially change the budget. Eligible homeowners moving within California should also investigate Proposition 19 before assuming the new tax bill.
Read the California tax and insurance guide ↗Before you make an offer
- Get an address-specific insurance quote.
- Review the actual tax bill and special charges.
- Estimate the new assessment after purchase.
- Budget for supplemental bills separately.
Statewide service · Personal guidance
Work with Aaron from anywhere in California.
Start by phone or video. Tell me the county, purchase price or property value, existing loan balance if any, cash available, and what you want to accomplish. We can review your next steps remotely without a branch visit.
When you are ready to apply, use the secure application and document process. A quote inquiry is a starting point; final terms depend on the application, property, underwriting, and current program availability.
Talk through your situation.
Talk/Text: (916) 823-9276hello@aaronclowes.comSchedule a phone or video conversation ↗NMLS #200900 · Mortgage services through NEXA Lending (NEXA Mortgage, LLC), NMLS #1660690. Confirm current licensing on NMLS Consumer Access.
California mortgage questions.
Do you only work in Sacramento?
No. I am based in Sacramento and work remotely with borrowers throughout California for purchases, refinances, and home equity financing, subject to program and lender availability.
Are conforming and FHA loan limits the same?
Not necessarily. They are separate program limits. Sacramento, for example, has different one-unit conforming and FHA limits in 2026. Use the county and unit count for your property.
Does a VA borrower have the same county cap?
With full entitlement, VA does not impose a county loan limit, but lender approval, affordability, appraisal, and available products still matter. County limits can affect remaining-entitlement calculations.
Can I buy before selling my current California home?
Possibly. Review qualification for overlapping housing obligations, the down payment source, and a conservative sale timeline before relying on future proceeds.
Can assistance help with closing costs as well as the down payment?
Some programs allow this, subject to their terms. Compare eligible uses, first-mortgage pricing, repayment, and available funding.
Will a HELOC automatically let me borrow all my equity?
No. Borrowing depends on value, existing liens, income, credit, occupancy, and the lender’s combined loan-to-value rules.
Keep exploring.
- 2026 California county loan limits
- California property taxes and insurance
- VA financing with an Air Force veteran
- Self-employed and alternative documentation
- Buying before selling
- Get a second opinion on a mortgage quote
Further reading & sources
- FHFA: 2026 conforming county limits ↗
- HUD: FHA county limit lookup ↗
- HUD: Original downloadable 2026 data ↗
- CalHFA: Statewide homebuyer programs ↗
- GSFA: Platinum program ↗
- VA: Entitlement and limits ↗
- Orange County Assessor: Purchase and refinance assessment ↗
Prepared by Aaron Clowes · NMLS #200900. Editorial sources checked October 27, 2026. Examples are hypothetical; actual costs, terms, eligibility, and program availability vary. This educational guide is not a rate quote or commitment to lend.
Your goals. A clear next step.
Let’s put your options
in perspective.
Purchase, refinance, or home equity—start with a conversation about what you want to accomplish.
Official-source check · October 27, 2026
Dream For All: the 2026 voucher application window is closed.
CalHFA states that its portal closed to new applications on March 16, 2026. Its May 20 update says another round of vouchers was released. Existing applicants should check their official portal status; this website cannot issue or reserve a voucher.
The published program offers shared-appreciation assistance up to 20%, capped at $150,000, with first-generation, first-time-buyer, California-residency, and income requirements. The original assistance and a share of appreciation are repayable under the agreement. Review alternatives with an approved lender if you were not selected. Check CalHFA for any later program changes.