My Anaheim Home: The City of Anaheim's First-Time Homebuyer Loan (2026)

What the program is

The City of Anaheim's First-Time Homebuyer Program page says the program "helps low- to moderate-income households buy a home by bridging the gap when prices and down payments would otherwise be out of reach." It "offers a $50,000 loan to help with a down payment on a home."

The city's flyer calls it the "My Anaheim Home" "First-Time Homebuyer Loan Program," under the city's Local Housing Trust Fund. City Council minutes from March 24, 2026 say it launched in late 2025 and provides a $50,000 loan as a second mortgage. A second mortgage is a second loan on the same home, behind your main (first) mortgage.

We are not putting the loan's interest rate, length or payment details on this page. The city sets them and they can change. Read them on the city's page, or call the city's housing office (contact details below). The city's adopted program guidelines (amended and adopted June 9, 2026) say "Repayment is due when the home is no longer owner-occupied, the property is sold or the title is transferred," and "Refinancing of the first mortgage is permitted only to lower the interest. Any cash-out refinancing will trigger repayment of the loan." They also say you "Must be pre-qualified for a fixed-rate First Mortgage," that the buyer "shall cover all closing costs," and that "non-occupant co-borrowers are not allowed." Read the guidelines.

Who can qualify

These are the city's rules, in the city's words. The page says you must:

• "Meet household income limits"
• "Not have owned a home in the past three years"
• "Buy a home within Anaheim (unincorporated Anaheim areas are ineligible)"
• "Live in the home as owner-occupant"
• "Choose an eligible property type (single-family, townhouse or condo)"
• "Stay within the maximum purchase price allowed"
• "Complete an approved homebuyer seminar"

The city's flyer adds that the seminar must be a "HUD-approved in-person seminar." The flyer says the home's price "cannot exceed the average home purchase price in Anaheim." The city's housing office told us by email on November 9, 2026 that the maximum sales price for the fourth quarter of 2026 is $946,371. The city gave this as the fourth-quarter 2026 figure, so ask for the current one before you make an offer.

The city's local preference. This is the City of Anaheim's own rule, not ours: "Priority is given to people who live or work in Anaheim for the past 12 months." The city does not say what happens to your place in line if you do not meet it. Ask the city.

"Unincorporated Anaheim areas are ineligible" means some addresses with an Anaheim mailing address may not count. Ask the city to confirm the address of any home you are looking at before you make an offer.

Income limits

The city's flyer sets the income limit at "Moderate Income (High Cost Area) 150% AMI." AMI means area median income. The flyer takes the figures from "HCD Area Median Income Limits - Fiscal Year (FY) 2026." Here are the household income limits the city's flyer lists:

Source: the City of Anaheim's My Anaheim Home flyer. Open the city's flyer. The flyer says: "Income limits are provided by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and are subject to change without notice."

These are the city's program limits. Other programs set their own limits, so check each one. The Council minutes describe the limit as household income "up to 150% of the Area Median Income (AMI) for Orange County." How a lender counts your income for the program is something to ask before you apply.

Funding and timing

The city's housing portal says: "The First-Time Homebuyer Program is currently accepting applications for down payment assistance. Funding is limited, and applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis while funds remain available. The program may close at any time."

What that means for you:

• Check the portal before you plan around this loan. A program that is open today may not be open when you find a home.
• New applicants review eligibility first. The portal is available in English, Español and Tiếng Việt.
• Do not sign a purchase contract that depends on the city loan until you have the city's answer in writing.

City housing office contact (from the city's page): Housing & Community Development, 201 S. Anaheim Boulevard, Suite 1003, Anaheim, CA 92805. 714-765-4300, ext. 4810 (TTY: dial 711). residentialloans@anaheim.net. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

How it fits with a first mortgage, CalHFA and GSFA

The city loan is down payment help. You still need a first mortgage for the rest, and the city's guidelines say it must be a fixed-rate first mortgage. The city's housing office told us by email on November 9, 2026: "We do not keep a preferred lender list." Ask any lender whether it has reviewed the city's loan documents and can close a first mortgage alongside the city loan. We can help you get pre-approved for a first mortgage and compare CalHFA and GSFA options side by side.

Using the city loan with another assistance program. The city loan normally sits right behind your first mortgage. The city told us: "we are willing to subordinate if their loan is larger than our $50,000." Subordinate means the city loan moves behind the other assistance loan. So whether two programs fit on the same home depends on the other program's amount and its own rules.

CalHFA. The California Housing Finance Agency runs state programs, including CalHFA MyHome Assistance; see also our CalHFA page. CalHFA's MyHome program sheet says "MyHome must be combined with a CalHFA first mortgage and may be combined with other down payment and/or closing cost assistance programs but must remain in second lien position" (program sheet revised October 19, 2026). That is CalHFA's rule. Because MyHome has to stay right behind the first mortgage, the city loan would have to move behind MyHome. CalHFA's sheet sets the MyHome amount as a share of the home's price, and at the city's price limit that comes out well under $50,000. So as we read the two programs' rules today, MyHome and the city loan don't fit together on the same home. If you want both, ask the city first.

GSFA. The Golden State Finance Authority offers GSFA Platinum through participating lenders, and New American Funding is on GSFA's participating lender list. GSFA Platinum is repaid differently from CalHFA MyHome, so compare the whole package. The same city rule applies: the city told us it subordinates when the other assistance loan is larger than $50,000. Ask us to check the numbers for the home you want.

Every program has eligibility rules, funds are limited, and amounts and terms can change. Ask us for the current rules the day you call, and check the agency page too.

Rules that come with the city loan

The city sent us its loan document templates (the loan agreement, promissory note, deed of trust and disclosure). These are the rules in them that matter most to a buyer. Your own documents from the city are the final word, so read them before you sign.

• Down payment only. The loan agreement says the city loan "may only be used towards Homebuyer's down payment." It can't pay closing costs.
• You live there. You move in within 60 days of closing and confirm in writing each year that the home is still your main residence.
• No renting. Renting the home out, including short-term rentals like Airbnb or VRBO, isn't allowed. The city's housing director can approve a short rental of up to six months in a verified extreme hardship.
• No new loans against the home without the city's OK. The agreement says you can't add "any additional mortgage or deed of trust, including any line of credit," without the city's written consent. That includes a home equity line of credit (HELOC).
• Refinancing has limits. The city reviews any refinance of your first mortgage. It considers one only if it lowers your interest rate, isn't a cash-out refinance and meets the city's other conditions.
• Insurance. You keep full replacement-value, all-risk property insurance that names the City of Anaheim as a loss payee, and you send the city a copy each year.
• Selling. You tell the city in writing at least 30 days before you list the home, with an appraisal. You can sell at market value, and you repay the city loan from the sale, plus the city's loan servicing fee.
• When repayment is due. The city's housing office told us repayment is required at the end of the loan's term, when you sell, if you transfer the home without the city's approval, if you do a cash-out refinance, or if you no longer live in the home.
• Paying early. You can pay the city loan off early at any time without a penalty.
• If the owner dies. A surviving spouse or registered domestic partner can take over the loan and live in the home. Other heirs have to repay the city loan; the loan agreement says how long they have.

Questions to ask before you apply

Whichever lender you choose, ask:

You can also talk with a HUD-approved housing counselor. Talk to more than one lender. That is good practice, and we say so even though we are a mortgage branch ourselves.

Questions buyers ask