Buying a home, whether it's your first or not, can be a daunting experience to many. Deciding when to buy, preparing financially, improving credit or addressing other challenges if necessary, all can take time and patience.
Below are some educational resources that may inspire and guide you on your journey and help set you up for success as a homeowner.
Watch real homebuyer success stories, learn more about the homebuying and mortgage process in general, and much more on the GSFA YouTube Channel!
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Our outreach team provides support and expertise at a variety of events, including workshops, seminars, homebuyer fairs, real estate meetings and affordable housing related conferences.
Below are upcoming events to help homebuyers and industry partners understand and utilize the GSFA homeownership programs.
Are you looking for support materials and/or a GSFA panelist or speaker at an educational or industry event? Send us a request and we will review staff availability and services.
Watch real-life success stories of individuals and families who became homeowners through the GSFA down payment assistance programs. Listen to a variety of challenges they may have faced and how they overcame these challenges to achieve the dream of homeownership.
“With the way the market is, sometimes that can even be the difference whether or not you can even get something because when the values are going up so much if you need to wait two years to save up you might end up getting priced out. It definitely helped to accelerate the process or even make it possible.” - Michael Pluguez
“You are never too old to get into homeownership. Sometimes we are hard on ourselves. It could be good to push [sic], or it could be bad, depending on how hard you are on yourself. Just keep going. Put one foot in front of the other.” - Tanya Hildreth
“I'm going to take the plunge. I've got to continue growing, and I've got to continue learning. Just because this didn't work out, doesn't mean that this [other] part of my life can't work out.” - Tonja Daniels
The GSFA Affordable Housing Series with The Power is Now Media is a financial literacy series developed by Golden State Finance Authority, to help homebuyers achieve the dream of homeownership. Watch Segment 1-3 of Part 5, where we explore the bigger topic of getting prepared for a mortgage loan and meeting the qualifying guidelines for the GSFA Down Payment Assistance Programs.
In this video, Eric Frazier and Carolyn Sunseri discuss GSFA's requirement for Debt-to-Income Ratios and the use of a Cosigner or co-borrower to help the primary borrower qualify.
In this video, Eric Frazier and Carolyn Sunseri discuss GSFA's FICO Scores and Credit Requirements and what a borrower with low or no FICO scores can do to build their credit.
In this video, Eric Frazier and Carolyn Sunseri discuss credit challenges, and financial circumstances and personal hardships such as: Divorce and/or Separation, Bankruptcy, Short sales, Foreclosures and Deed In lieu, and Tax Liens and Collection accounts. They dispel the myth that these circumstances will always stop a borrower from becoming a homeowner.
Several organizations provide counseling and education for individuals and families looking to purchase a home in California. Below are some of the resources and services for homebuyers provided by related industry providers.
Note: By clicking on the links below you will be redirected to the provider's website. The terms and conditions of these third-party websites may be different from gsfahome.org and will govern your use of such websites.