SERVICE

Apply for a downpayment loan to buy a market rate home

With the Downpayment Assistance Loan Program (DALP), you can get a loan up to $500,000 to buy a home.

What to know

Cost

Applying is free. But at closing, your household pays a $668 fee as part of your closing costs.

Income

You need to make under a certain amount for your household size. The highest limit for a one-person household is $209,800 a year.

Application dates

Apply between: March 4, 2025 at 8:00 am and June 2, 2025 at 5:00 pm Pacific Time.
Join our mailing list to get an email when applications open.

What to do

1. Check if you can apply

Your income is under a certain amount

The amount you can borrow depends on how much you need.

Your household must make under a certain amount. The maximum amount depends on the number of people in your household:

  • For 1 person, $209,800
  • For 2 people, $239,800
  • For 3 people, $269,700
  • For 4 people, $299,700
  • For 5 people, $323,700
  • For 6 people, $347,700
  • For 7 people, $371,600
  • For 8 people, $395,600
  • For 9 people, $419,600

You are a first-time homebuyer

You have not owned any residential property anywhere in the last 3 years.

2. Prepare to apply

Before you apply, you must:

What documents you need

  1. Verification of homebuyer education, dated within the past year
  2. Loan pre-approval letter, dated within the past 120 days

Your pre-approval letter must contain:

  • The sales price of a market-rate property
  • The maximum first loan amount
  • The DALP loan amount.

A pre-approval letter for a below-market-rate (BMR) property will not be accepted.

San Francisco Educators and First Responders

SFUSD, Police, Fire, and Sheriff employees have some different requirements. Check to see if you can apply as a:

3. Apply for the Lottery

Apply online before the deadline.

Important dates

Applications open: March 4, 2025, 8:00 am
Applications close: June 2, 2025, 5:00 pm
Lottery: June 25, 2025, 11:00 am

Times shown are Pacific Time.

Applications open soon

Check back after March 4, 2025 at 8:00 am Pacific Time for the link to apply.

After you apply

After the lottery

  • Check your results online
  • We reach out in the order of the lottery results until all loan funding has been reserved

Where to check results and what to expect next

Pay back the loan when you sell your home

The DALP is a silent second loan that requires no monthly payments. You can sell your home at market rate prices. When you sell, you pay back the principal amount, plus an equitable share of appreciation. See detailed loan terms.

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