HomePilot is a licensed California mortgage broker. We compete on rate AND program fit, which matters more in California than in any other state because the loan-amount tiers (conforming → high-balance → jumbo) sit so close together for the typical purchase price. A loan that's borderline jumbo on a $1M home in San Diego might be a high-balance conforming loan in San Mateo County and a true jumbo in Riverside County. We price all three options for every CA client so the best path forward is obvious. Wholesale-channel access means our rates beat retail by 0.25-0.5% on most scenarios.
The California housing market, in brief
California's housing market is the largest and most expensive in the country. State-wide median is around $800,000 — but that hides huge regional variance. Bay Area medians ($1.2M+) and coastal Southern California ($900K+) push most loans into either high-balance conforming territory or true jumbo. Inland Empire (Riverside, San Bernardino) and the Central Valley (Sacramento, Fresno) sit closer to baseline conforming pricing. Property taxes are actually moderate (~0.74% effective) thanks to Proposition 13, which caps assessed-value increases at 2% per year regardless of market value — meaning long-time owners often pay much less than recent buyers in the same neighborhood. The earthquake / fire insurance market has been volatile post-2020, so factor insurance carefully when shopping payment.
Loan programs we originate in California
California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) runs the most generous suite of first-time-buyer assistance in the country, including the MyHome Assistance Program (deferred-payment second mortgage for down payment + closing costs), the Zero Interest Program (ZIP), and the California Dream For All shared-appreciation loan. Mortgage Credit Certificates (MCC) provide a federal income tax credit for first-time buyers in many counties — meaningful if you have CA state income tax exposure. We work with the wholesale lenders that fund all CalHFA programs, so the assistance stacks on top of our wholesale-rate channel.
- Conventional — up to $806,500 (baseline) or $1,209,750 (high-balance, in designated counties).
- FHA — up to $1,209,750 in Los Angeles / Orange / San Mateo / San Francisco counties; limits vary by county, set annually by HUD.
- VA — no maximum loan amount for borrowers with full entitlement (since 2020). Funding fee applies.
- USDA Rural Development — zero-down, income-limited, available in eligible rural and outer-suburban areas.
- Jumbo — above the conforming ceiling. Pricing varies by lender; we shop multiple jumbo programs.
- Refinance & cash-out — rate-and-term refinances, cash-out refinances, debt-consolidation refis.
California first-time-buyer programs
We work with the wholesale lenders that fund every major California down-payment-assistance program — meaning the DPA stacks on top of our wholesale-channel rate, not in place of it.
- CalHFA MyHome Assistance Program — Deferred-payment junior loan up to 3-3.5% of purchase price for down payment + closing costs. Combines with CalHFA conventional, FHA, USDA, or VA first mortgage. Repayment deferred until sale, refinance, or payoff.
- California Dream For All — Shared-appreciation loan: state contributes up to 20% of home price as a 'silent second' that's repaid plus a share of appreciation when you sell or refinance. Income-limited; competitive but generous for first-time buyers.
- Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) — Federal income tax credit equal to 15-20% of mortgage interest paid annually. Reduces federal tax liability dollar-for-dollar — meaningful for CA borrowers with state income tax stacking on top.
Top metros we serve in California
We’re licensed across California — every county. Most of our volume comes from these metros: