The California Housing Finance Agency has expanded a program to help first-time homebuyers purchase foreclosed homes in Kern County.

Under the Community Stabilization Home Loan Program, first-time homebuyers are eligible for a low fixed rate loan and 100 percent loan-to-value to purchase foreclosed homes in areas with some of the state’s highest foreclosure rates.

Several financial institutions have partnered in the program and offer sales prices on select real estate- owned properties dramatically reduced from the current value.

Homes must meet agency price limits and there are income limits on participants.

In Kern County, for example, families of three or more can earn up to $80,960. The limit on the home sale price in Kern County is $322,208.

This program is only available in areas identified as among the most impacted by foreclosures in the state, including Contra Costa, Kern, Merced, Monterey, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, Solano and Stanislaus counties, and a few zip codes in Alameda and Los Angeles counties.