FHA Loans (203b Mortgage Insurance)
FHA loans are mortgages orignated by FHA-sponsored banks and are insured by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Your down payment can be as low as 3.5% of the purchase price, and most of your closing costs and fees can be included in the loan.

CalHFA Program
CalHFA loans are sponsored by the State of California through the sale of tax-emept bonds and are designed for buyers with incomes from $57,744 to $96,240 for homes priced up to $578,882. These limits could change so check the CalHFA site to find the limits that apply to you.

CalHFA offering 30-year, fixed rate first-time home buyer loans
The California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA) recently announced it is offering Cal30, a fixed rate, 30-year loan with up to 95 percent financing. This new loan program is available for eligible first-time home buyers.

Housing Grants
There are a plethora of grants available with billions of dollars of funds included. However, it takes some time and effort to find those grants that may be available to you and your circumstances. The place to start is at Grants.gov but you may find other resrouces. Let me know if you find other useful sites, but beware of the many private mortgage companies out there posing as grant agencies or grant writers.

Rebates
Sonoma County is on the leading edge of developing rebates on improvements, especially for eco-friendly and efficiency-related projects. For those buying a fixer or a home that needs updating, these rebates could provide plenty of incentive.