13 Best CalHFA Mortgage Lenders of 2024
CalHFA loan programs help you purchase a home in California with down payment and closing cost assistance. See our picks for CalHFA participating lenders.
Some or all of the mortgage lenders featured on our site are advertising partners of NerdWallet, but this does not influence our evaluations, lender star ratings or the order in which lenders are listed on the page. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA), provides mortgage and assistance programs to help those in California buy their first home. Anyone who hasn’t owned and occupied their own home in the past three years is considered a first-time buyer.
To take advantage of these loan programs, you’ll have to work with a participating loan officer. NerdWallet compared more than 50 lenders and identified the top-rated banks and mortgage companies that participate in CalHFA loan programs. When reaching out to a lender, ask for a loan officer who is trained to process CalHFA loans. » MORE: Explore California first-time home buyer programs
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- 50+ mortgage lenders reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
- 40+ years of combined experience covering mortgages and financial topics.
- Objective, comprehensive star rating system assessing 120+ categories and 5,000+ data points.
- Governed by NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
Why trust NerdWallet
- 50+ mortgage lenders reviewed and rated by our team of experts.
- 40+ years of combined experience covering mortgages and financial topics.
- Objective, comprehensive star rating system assessing 120+ categories and 5,000+ data points.
- Governed by NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity.
13 Best CalHFA Mortgage Lenders of 2024
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Lender ▾ ▾ | NerdWallet Rating ▾ ▾ | Min. credit score ▾ ▾ | Min. down payment ▾ ▾ | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
620 | 3% | |||
 Flagstar: NMLS#417490 Compare More Lenders on NerdWallet | N/A | 5% | Compare More Lenders on NerdWallet | |
 New American Funding: NMLS#6606 Top 3 most visited 🏆 Learn more at New American Funding | 580 | 0% | Top 3 most visited 🏆 Learn more at New American Funding | |
 Wintrust Mortgage: NMLS#449042 Compare More Lenders on NerdWallet | N/A | N/A | Compare More Lenders on NerdWallet | |
 loanDepot: NMLS#174457 Compare More Lenders on NerdWallet | 620 | 3% | Compare More Lenders on NerdWallet |
More from NerdWallet
Last updated on February 26, 2024
Methodology
NerdWallet's star ratings for mortgage lenders are awarded based on our evaluation of the products and services each lender offers to consumers who are actively shopping for the best mortgage. The five key areas we evaluated include the variety of loan types and products offered, online conveniences, online mortgage rate information, and the average interest rate and origination fee lenders reported in the latest available Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data. To ensure consistency, our ratings are reviewed by multiple people on the NerdWallet mortgages team. Lenders listed on this page participate in the CalHFA program and earned at least 3 stars in NerdWallet's home loans overall rating.
NerdWallet's Best CalHFA Mortgage Lenders of 2024
- Rate: Best for first-time home buyers
- Flagstar: Best for first-time home buyers
- New American Funding: Best for underserved communities
- Wintrust Mortgage: Best for variety of loan types
- loanDepot: Best for fixer-uppers
- U.S. Bank: Best for mobile app
- Alterra: Best for mobile app
- Churchill: Best for buyers with nontraditional credit
- CrossCountry Mortgage: Best for customer satisfaction
- Fairway Independent Mortgage: Best for variety of loan types
- Guild Mortgage: Best for variety of loan types
- Movement Mortgage: Best for customer satisfaction
- PrimeLending: Best for fixer-uppers
