Orange County

Orange County has issued more than 300 mortgage credit certificates since the program began in March, 1990, said Cheryl Barba, staff analyst for the MCC program.

MCCs are not expected to be affected by the Orange County bankruptcy and impending cutbacks, Barba said.

“The MCC program is not affected by the county’s financial crisis. As long as the IRS authorizes it, we’ll continue to run it--it’s virtually cost-free for us,” she said.

Orange County cities that administer MCC programs themselves are Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Irvine, La Habra, Lake Forest, Santa Ana, Tustin and Yorba Linda.

Home buyers in unincorporated areas and in 12 smaller Orange County cities can obtain an MCC through the county’s program. These cities are Cypress, Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Mission Viejo, Placentia, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Seal Beach and Stanton.

Orange County single or two-person households may earn a maximum of $58,800, while those with three or more people may earn up to $67,620.

Buyers of new homes in Orange County may spend up to $217,456, while the limit for resale homes is $229,883.

To find out how to apply for the Orange County program, call (714) 834-5693.