Mortgages for first-time home buyers in California.

First-time buyers often look at four kinds of loan. An FHA loan is insured by the Federal Housing Administration and allows a smaller down payment and more flexible credit. A conventional loan is not insured by a government agency, and at or under the county limit it is a conforming loan that follows Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rules. A VA loan is for eligible veterans, service members and surviving spouses. OriginPoint also has OneDown, its low-down-payment program for eligible buyers of a primary residence. Which one fits depends on your own file.

Often yes. Many loan types allow a relative to give you money toward the down payment and closing costs. The lender asks for a signed gift letter saying the money does not have to be repaid, and for a record of the transfer. Each loan type has its own rules on who can give and how much of the down payment can be a gift.

There are programs that help eligible buyers with a down payment or closing costs. Many are run by state or local housing agencies, and each has its own rules, which often look at income and where the home is. OriginPoint lists down payment assistance among its options, and has its own OneDown program, where eligibility and income limits apply. Ask Sam what is available where you are buying.

It depends on the county and on the loan amount. For 2026, the conforming loan limit for a one-unit home is $832,750 in most of the United States and up to $1,249,125 in high-cost counties, as set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency. A loan above the county’s limit is a jumbo loan, and each lender sets its own rules for it. FHA has its own limit for each county. See the 2026 limits by county.

Ask which loan types fit your income and savings, what each one would ask you to put down, what the closing costs are likely to be, and which papers to gather. Ask what could change between that first review and the day you make an offer. Sam goes through these in a first conversation, in plain words.