Today’s HousingWire Daily features a crossover episode from HousingWire’s Girlfunds. In this episode, Portside Real Estate Group Founder and HousingWire 2020 Woman of Influence, Dava Davin discusses everything from her best financial tip to her No. 1 piece of advice to people starting the home-buying process.

Here is a small preview of today’s interview with Dava Davin. The transcript below has been lightly edited for length and clarity:

Brena Nath: We are obviously passionate about home buying and purchasing tips and insight. As someone who is regularly helping people achieve their dream of homeownership, I have a basic entry-level question, how do you recommend people start the home buying process and where do you think they often go wrong when it comes to buying a home? 

Dava Davin: Going back to our first question about youth, I think the younger, the better when thinking about homeownership. It’s important to start having good behaviors when you are young. Simple things like paying your bills on time, budgeting, saving for that down-payment and speaking with a trusted loan officer can help folks start the homebuying process a year or two in advance. They're not bothering anyone; a loan officer will be happy to have their business and help set them up. I think the typical scenario for homeownership is that you are in a long-term relationship, and then maybe you want to solidify that relationship or have a family. So, you buy a house but it doesn't have to be in that order. I think that sort of thinking is where people go wrong. They think, ‘oh, this is how I'm supposed to do it, I'm supposed to graduate from college, get the job and do it in this way.' You don't necessarily have to. 

HousingWire Daily examines the most compelling articles reported from the HousingWire newsroom. Each afternoon, we provide our listeners with a deeper look into the stories coming across our newsroom that are helping Move Markets Forward. Hosted by the HW team and produced by Alcynna Lloyd and Victoria Wickham.