Just Approved: Patience, timing, and strategy: A dream realized against the odds
Loan amounts: $577,200 first mortgage and $144,300 CalHFA Dream second mortgage.
Loan type: CalHFA Dream.
Backstory: For many first-time homebuyers in the Bay Area, the path to homeownership can feel out of reach. But for one determined buyer, a combination of persistence, timing, and the right guidance made all the difference.
I’ve worked with this client for nearly three years, helping him prepare for one specific opportunity: the highly competitive CalHFA Dream For All program. After missing the first round in 2024, the client was ultimately selected in the 2025 second lottery — an opportunity that nearly slipped away due to strict timelines and market challenges.
The client, a real estate agent representing himself, spent months searching for the right home but struggled to secure a property within the program’s deadlines. As time passed, pressure mounted. The lottery ticket had to be extended, and the window to use the program funds was closing.
Rather than rushing into the wrong purchase, I advised patience while strategically navigating the constraints of the program. That patience paid off at the negotiation table, where the client secured a $16,000 seller credit — covering his closing costs in full.
Combined with the Dream For All program providing approximately 20% down payment assistance, the structure of the transaction allowed the buyer to close on his home with virtually no out-of-pocket cash to close — an outcome that...