We're David and Tasha Wolf, California mortgage brokers based in Riverside County. David has been licensed since 1999, and we handle your loan ourselves.
Start with the loan
FHA, VA and some conventional loans are built for buyers with smaller down payments. Gifts from family and seller credits can help with cash to close, within each program's rules. Compare the whole loan: mortgage insurance, fees and total cost, not only the cash you need on day one.
Good places to start: FHA vs conventional, VA loans and mortgage insurance and program fees.
What assistance programs involve
Assistance usually comes as a second loan or a grant with its own rules: income and price limits, first-time buyer requirements, which homes qualify, how long you have to live there and what you owe when you sell or refinance. Funds often run out. The help isn't always worth what it costs, so compare the whole loan with and without it. We can explain how a program would work for you.
Riverside County's programs
Riverside County Housing & Workforce Solutions runs two first-time buyer programs, HOME and PLHA, for July 2026 to June 2027.
- First-time buyer: Generally, you can't have owned a home in the last 3 years. The county lists a few exceptions, such as a single parent who only owned with a former spouse.
- Limits: Household income limits apply. The price limit is $607,050 for a single-family home and $470,250 for a condo or townhome.
- Where: Unincorporated areas and participating cities. HOME excludes 15 cities, including Corona, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Murrieta, Riverside and Temecula. PLHA excludes 7, including Corona, Menifee and Riverside.
- Funds: First come, first served. In August 2026 the county reported PLHA funds used up in many areas. Check with the county before you count on it.
- How to apply: Through a county-approved participating lender, after a homebuyer education course.
The county's Mortgage Credit Certificate program has run out of funds and isn't taking applications.
Statewide programs
The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) has statewide programs for first-time and first-generation buyers, with income limits and their own loan terms. The 2026 application window for its Dream For All program closed March 16, 2026.
Local guides
Buying your first home in Corona · VA home loans in Temecula
Sources
Rules and funding change. These are the official sources behind this page.