First Cal's EVP of National Production, Joe McKone, was featured in the San Francisco Chronicle's "Sound Off" column, along with two other real estate professionals. The three industry experts were posed the question, "How do I determine my housing needs before I begin searching for properties?" McKone was quoted with the following answer:

"Buyers have a lot of great programs to consider, such as the not-well-known HomePath Federal Housing Administration loan that has lower down payment requirements. And since January, VA loans for military personnel now accommodate higher-cost homes here in the Bay Area. Another very interesting program at First Cal, called REX Homebuyer, enables borrowers to increase their buying power from a 10 percent down payment to a 20 percent down payment through a shared investment. With REX, a buyer can borrow less, make a smaller monthly payment and avoid paying the mortgage insurance required if they had put down less than 20 percent."

Read more about Joe McKone's response and the rest of the "Sound Off" article on the SF Chronicle page .