California DPA Sales Playbook

Alternate stack

If Dream For All is closed: CalPLUS FHA + MyHome (3.5% down) + ZIP (3% closing costs) + LA County HOP ($85K) + LA County MCC. Four-way stack — the most powerful option for low-income LA County buyers.

Call script

• 1.Open with: 'How long have you been saving for a down payment? What's the number you've been targeting?'
• 2.Position first-generation as a QUALIFICATION not a label — 'Based on what you told me about your parents, you're in the priority pool for Dream For All. Here's what that means.'
• 3.Show the math on a concrete scenario: '$650K purchase, Dream For All contributes $130K, you bring $5K. Monthly payment is X. Shared appreciation at year 10 is roughly Y — which means your net equity position is $Z.'
• 4.Close with the calendar: 'The next Dream For All draw is expected in [month]. If we start now, you'll be fully pre-approved before the window opens. If the draw fills in a day, we still have Plan B with MyHome + HOP — this is not a one-shot situation.'

Watch for

• ⚠Don't lead with shared-appreciation math fear. Lead with what the borrower gets: access to a home they otherwise couldn't buy. The math works even with the appreciation share.
• ⚠Verify first-generation status with the specific CalHFA form — don't assume. If parents owned even a modest home in the US at any point, borrower drops from 20% to 17% assistance.
• ⚠If income is above Dream For All's county limit (happens frequently in LA for dual-earner $130K+ households), pivot immediately to MyHome + HOP.

Call script

• 1.Open with: 'Tell me about the last home you owned. When did you sell, and why are you buying again now?'
• 2.Position GSFA as the repeat-buyer solution: 'Almost every DPA program in California requires first-time-buyer status. GSFA Platinum doesn't. That's why we start here.'
• 3.Frame the rate premium honestly: 'GSFA isn't free — you pay for the grant through a slightly higher rate. Over 5 years, here's what that costs vs what the grant saves. Over 30 years, the math changes — which is why we also talk about your refinance plan.'
• 4.Set up the exit: 'If rates drop in 2-3 years, you refi out of the rate premium and keep the grant. That's the most common play.'

Watch for

• ⚠Don't assume the borrower wants the maximum grant. The 5% grant carries the highest rate premium. Sometimes 2-3% at a lower rate is better math for the long hold.
• ⚠Self-employed borrowers with declining year-over-year income get rejected by GSFA more often than CalHFA. If 2-year tax returns show a decline, pre-position Chenoa Fund as Plan B.
• ⚠Verify the borrower's income hasn't crept above the county-specific GSFA AMI ceiling. GSFA is generous but not uncapped.

Call script

• 1.Open with: 'Where do you work, and how long have you been there?' (Confirms LA City employment for priority consideration.)
• 2.Frame LIPA/MIPA as the LA City advantage: 'Most California borrowers don't have access to a $140K silent second. You do, specifically because you live and buy in LA City.'
• 3.Pre-manage the timeline: 'LIPA takes 60-90 days. We'll structure your purchase contract with a 75-day close and a contingency extension to give us buffer. Sellers are used to this.'
• 4.If borrower is uncertain about LA City boundaries: 'Let's look at the specific address you're considering. Santa Monica isn't LIPA-eligible. Studio City is. Pasadena has its own program. Culver City isn't covered. I'll run every address you consider against the boundary map.'

Watch for

• ⚠LA City boundary confusion is the #1 disqualifier. Many 'LA' properties are actually West Hollywood, Culver City, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills — none covered by LIPA.
• ⚠Max sales price cap (typically $820K-$950K) disqualifies many Hollywood / Westside / mid-city properties. Confirm cap before writing offer.
• ⚠LIPA and MIPA are mutually exclusive. If the borrower's income is at 79% AMI one year and 82% the next, pre-confirm which program applies to avoid re-applying.

Call script

• 1.Open with: 'When did you serve, and have you pulled your Certificate of Eligibility yet?' (Many veterans don't know they need a COE.)
• 2.Frame VA as the best mortgage in America: 'Zero down, no mortgage insurance, no household income limit, no prepayment penalty. You worked for this.'
• 3.If veteran is hesitant (worried about funding fee or rate): 'Funding fee is 2.15% on your first use. That's less than FHA's MIP over 5 years. And VA rates are typically 0.25% below FHA. Over 30 years, VA wins.'
• 4.Stack the MCC: 'On top of the VA loan, we add a Mortgage Credit Certificate — up to $2,000 federal tax credit every year. Free money on top of the zero-down.'

Watch for

• ⚠Condo purchases require a VA-approved condo project — many California condos aren't on the list. Verify before writing offer.
• ⚠Surviving spouse eligibility requires specific documentation from the VA. Refer to a VSO if the file isn't clean.
• ⚠Second-time VA users with existing VA loan have partial entitlement — requires the Residual Income calculation. Don't assume full benefit.

Call script

• 1.Open with: 'What's the address — or zip code — you're considering?' (Check USDA property eligibility map in real time.)
• 2.Frame USDA as the quiet winner: 'If your property qualifies — and a lot of California qualifies — this is zero down, no PMI, and rates below FHA. Very few buyers realize how much of the Inland Empire is USDA-eligible.'
• 3.Verify household income ceiling: 'USDA counts EVERY adult's income in the household, even non-borrowers. Who else lives with you who earns income?'
• 4.Close with the map demonstration: 'Let me pull up the USDA map right now. You'll see exactly where you can buy and still hit 0% down.'

Watch for

• ⚠USDA eligibility is property-specific. Borrower can be pre-approved, then find a home outside the eligible area and have to restart.
• ⚠Household income cap is STRICT. Two-earner households in the $130K+ range often exceed USDA's 115% AMI even when they'd qualify for everything else.
• ⚠USDA annual guarantee fee (0.35%) is similar to FHA MIP — factor into monthly payment comparison.

Call script

• 1.Open with: 'Where in San Diego County are you looking? City of SD, or do you have specific neighborhoods in mind?' (Determines SDHC vs DCCA routing.)
• 2.Position the 17% silent second: 'San Diego County is unusual — the county DPA can fund 17% of your purchase as a silent second. On a $700K purchase, that's $119K deferred for 30 years.'
• 3.Verify target area participation for DCCA: 'El Cajon, Santee, Spring Valley, La Mesa — all DCCA. Chula Vista depends on the specific address. Let's check each one.'

Watch for

• ⚠City of San Diego vs unincorporated county vs participating-city vs non-participating-city creates a complex map. Miscategorizing the property wastes the borrower's time.
• ⚠3% simple interest on the deferred second accrues over 30 years — on $100K of assistance, that's $90K of accrued interest if never repaid early. Borrowers need to understand.