By Costanza Genoese Zerbi | RealTrends Verified Top Agent Southern California | eXp Realty of Greater Los Angeles

Published August 2026 | Reading time: approximately 4 minutes

I just closed on 2133 Woodbriar Court in Fullerton — a deal that meant helping a family become homeowners for the first time, using California's Dream For All down payment assistance program. It's one of the most rewarding transactions I've worked on this year, and also one of the most technically demanding.

What Dream For All Actually Offers

The Dream For All Shared Appreciation Loan Program, administered by the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA), provides down payment and closing cost assistance of up to 20% of a home's purchase price, capped at $150,000. It's specifically designed for first-generation, first-time homebuyers — a huge unlock for families who've never had the ability to pass down home equity.

It's important to understand: this isn't free money. It's a shared appreciation loan, meaning the assistance is repaid — along with a portion of the home's appreciation — when the home is eventually sold, refinanced, or transferred. Selection also isn't first-come, first-served; CalHFA runs a randomized lottery drawing among registered applicants during a limited application window.

Why These Transactions Are Harder Than They Look

Working with down payment assistance programs like Dream For All involves real complexity that a lot of agents and buyers aren't prepared for:

• Getting the offer accepted in the first place. Sellers and listing agents sometimes carry outdated assumptions about down payment assistance offers being weaker or riskier than conventional financing. Overcoming that stigma requires presenting the offer strategically, with a lender and terms that make sellers genuinely comfortable saying yes.
• Program timing and structure. Dream For All operates on specific registration windows and lottery selection, not on-demand availability. Buyers need to be pre-approved and ready to move the moment a voucher comes through.
• Coordinating a CalHFA-approved lender. Not every lender handles these transactions, and the ones who do need real experience navigating the shared appreciation loan structure alongside the first mortgage.

Why I'm Sharing This

Every family deserves a real shot at homeownership, and programs like Dream For All exist specifically to make that possible for buyers who'd otherwise be locked out. But navigating the process well — from application to an accepted offer to a smooth close — takes an agent who understands exactly how these deals work.

If you're a first-generation buyer wondering whether a program like this could work for you, or you want an agent who knows how to get a down-payment-assistance offer taken seriously in a competitive market, I'd love to help.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the CalHFA Dream For All program? Dream For All is a shared appreciation loan program offering up to 20% of a home's purchase price (capped at $150,000) in down payment and closing cost assistance for first-generation, first-time homebuyers in California.

Is Dream For All assistance a grant? No. It's a shared appreciation loan. The assistance is repaid, along with a portion of the home's appreciation, when the home is sold, refinanced, or transferred.

Why do sellers sometimes hesitate to accept down payment assistance offers? Some sellers and listing agents carry outdated assumptions that DPA-backed offers are weaker or more likely to fall through. A well-structured offer, presented by an experienced agent and lender, can overcome that hesitation.

About Costanza Genoese Zerbi

Costanza Genoese Zerbi is a Broker Associate at eXp Realty of Greater Los Angeles and the founder of Costanza Genoese Zerbi & Associates. She is a RealTrends Verified Top Agent in Southern California — five consecutive years — with 600+ closed transactions and more than $500 million in career sales volume. She serves buyers and sellers across Long Beach, the South Bay, greater Los Angeles, and Orange County.

Contact: 📲 (562) 221-4527 🌐 costanzagz.com 📍 1650 Ximeno Ave Suite 300, Long Beach CA 90804 DRE #01941438