How to Buy a Home: #1 First-Time Homebuyer Podcast

Home sales dropped 8.4%, rates are near 6%, and first-time buyer participation just jumped back to 31%—here’s what the January 2026 housing data actually means if you’re trying to buy your first home.

This episode breaks down the January 2026 housing market data and what it means for first-time homebuyers right now. You’ll hear how national sales, regional splits, inventory shortages, and mortgage rates are shaping today’s opportunities—and why the long-awaited “crash” still isn’t showing up in the math. The episode closes with a direct challenge to renters who are waiting for perfect timing, introducing the rent replacement strategy as a smarter long-term wealth move.

“The people who win in their life with their first home purchase aren’t the ones who time the market. They’re the ones who entered the market.”

Highlights:

• Are prices really about to crash — or is that just wishful thinking?
• If fewer homes are selling, why aren’t prices falling?
• Why are first-time buyers coming back into the market right now?
• What does a 6% rate actually mean for your buying power?
• Is waiting for the “perfect time” keeping you stuck in the rent cycle?

Check out our updated 2026 First Time Homebuyer's Episode Guide - Over 100 of our BEST Episodes of Detailed Homebuying Knowledge, Interviews, and MORE!

Connect with me to find a trusted realtor in your area or to answer your burning questions!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel @HowToBuyaHome

Instagram @HowtoBuyAHomePodcast

Tik Tok @HowToBuyAHome

Visit our Resource Center to "Ask David" AND get your FREE Home Buying Starter Kit!

David Sidoni, the "How to Buy a Home Guy," is a seasoned real estate professional and consumer advocate with two decades of experience helping first-time homebuyers navigate the real estate market. His podcast, "How to Buy a Home," is a trusted resource for anyone looking to buy their first home. It offers expert advice, actionable tips, and inspiring stories from real first-time homebuyers. With a focus on making the home-buying process accessible and understandable, David breaks down complex topics into easy-to-follow steps, covering everything from budgeting and financing to finding the right home and making an offer.

Subscribe for regular market updates, and leave a review to help us reach more people. Ready for an honest, informed home-buying experience? Viva la Unicorn Revolution - join us!

Think you’re not ready to buy a home yet? Kennedy started with $8,000 saved and no clear plan — and five months later, she closed on a $300,000 home. Here’s how education, the right team, and a focused savings strategy made it happen.

Kennedy didn’t think she was ready to buy. She had $8,000 saved and just wanted information. Five months later, she closed on a $300,000 home in Louisville. In this episode, she shares how connecting with the right lender and “unicorn realtor” helped her create a clear plan, double her savings, and buy with confidence. This is a real example of what happens when education replaces hesitation and strategy replaces fear.

“I didn’t think at the beginning of the year when I said I was interested that I would be at this point of already in a home.”

• Why you don’t need to feel “ready” before starting the homebuying conversation
• How the right lender and realtor create a clear, customized plan
• The impact of doubling savings in five months with focused intent
• Why location should match your lifestyle, not just a map
• How reducing a 50-minute commute changed the value of the purchase
• What happens when education replaces uncertainty

Check out our updated 2026 First Time Homebuyer's Episode Guide - Over 100 of our BEST Episodes of Detailed Homebuying Knowledge, Interviews, and MORE!

Connect with me to find a trusted realtor in your area or to answer your burning questions!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel @HowToBuyaHome

Instagram @HowtoBuyAHomePodcast

Tik Tok @HowToBuyAHome

Visit our Resource Center to "Ask David" AND get your FREE Home Buying Starter Kit!

David Sidoni, the "How to Buy a Home Guy," is a seasoned real estate professional and consumer advocate with two decades of experience helping first-time homebuyers navigate the real estate market. His podcast, "How to Buy a Home," is a trusted resource for anyone looking to buy their first home. It offers expert advice, actionable tips, and inspiring stories from real first-time homebuyers. With a focus on making the home-buying process accessible and understandable, David breaks down complex topics into easy-to-follow steps, covering everything from budgeting and financing to finding the right home and making an offer.

Subscribe for regular market updates, and leave a review to help us reach more people. Ready for an honest, informed home-buying experience? Viva la Unicorn Revolution - join us!

Mortgage rates aren’t falling the way buyers expect—and this interview breaks down why “waiting for a crash” may backfire, plus what realistic first-time buyer strategies still work in today’s market.

Zachary Foust explains why mortgage rates haven’t followed Fed cuts the way people assume, and how bond investors, inflation risk, and the mortgage-to-bond “spread” affect what buyers actually pay. He argues a 2008-style housing crash is unlikely without a major inventory surge, and that the kind of crash many buyers hope for would likely come with painful unemployment. The conversation shifts into practical “path of least resistance” moves—like using FHA/USDA/VA and state housing authority assistance, considering townhomes in secondary markets, and paying attention to new construction incentives—while also naming the emotional toll this market is taking on first-time buyers.

“Townhomes aren’t sexy, but they’re affordable to build and they’re cheaper, especially if they’re on the outside of a primary market.” - Zachary Foust

• Why aren’t mortgage rates dropping even when the Fed cuts rates?
• What does “quantitative easing” actually mean—and why is it showing up again in 2026?
• If prices did drop 20–50%, what would likely have to happen to unemployment first?
• How can first-time buyers use FHA/USDA/VA and state housing authority programs to lower upfront costs?
• Why are some builders offering major incentives—and why might new construction be a “quiet sale” opportunity?
• What does buying “outside the sun” (secondary markets) look like in real life?

Check out our updated 2026 First Time Homebuyer's Episode Guide - Over 100 of our BEST Episodes of Detailed Homebuying Knowledge, Interviews, and MORE!

Connect with me to find a trusted realtor in your area or to answer your burning questions!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel @HowToBuyaHome

Instagram @HowtoBuyAHomePodcast

Tik Tok @HowToBuyAHome

Visit our Resource Center to "Ask David" AND get your FREE Home Buying Starter Kit!

David Sidoni, the "How to Buy a Home Guy," is a seasoned real estate professional and consumer advocate with two decades of experience helping first-time homebuyers navigate the real estate market. His podcast, "How to Buy a Home," is a trusted resource for anyone looking to buy their first home. It offers expert advice, actionable tips, and inspiring stories from real first-time homebuyers. With a focus on making the home-buying process accessible and understandable, David breaks down complex topics into easy-to-follow steps, covering everything from budgeting and financing to finding the right home and making an offer.

Subscribe for regular market updates, and leave a review to help us reach more people. Ready for an honest, informed home-buying experience? Viva la Unicorn Revolution - join us!

Think you need to wait until you’re “ready” to talk to a lender? Think again. In this episode, David sits down with expert lender Kelly Cort to explain why early conversations — even a year or two in advance — can save you time, money, and stress. If you’re serious about buying a home, this is the episode that could change your entire timeline.

Most first-time buyers delay talking to a lender because they think they’re not ready — not enough savings, credit isn’t perfect, or they’re “just researching.” But that delay can cost you. In this episode, David and seasoned mortgage pro Kelly Cort bust that myth wide open.

They explain how early lender conversations don’t require a pre-approval or credit pull, and how they help you create a custom financial game plan for buying a home — not just a mortgage estimate. From understanding soft vs. hard credit pulls to when you can actually lock in an interest rate, this episode walks you through everything you didn’t know you needed to know.

You’ll learn how to use cash strategically, why down payment assistance isn’t just for low-income buyers, and why obsessing over interest rates can distract you from building real buying power. Whether you’re buying in six months or two years, this is the knowledge first-time buyers rarely get — and absolutely need.

“Just because you can qualify for a $400,000 home doesn’t mean you should.”

• Why “getting pre-approved” shouldn’t be your first step — and what to do instead
• The truth about credit pulls, pre-approvals, and when they actually matter
• What a discovery call is (and why it could change your whole plan)
• Why some people who “qualify” still feel house-poor — and how to avoid it
• Down payment assistance myths: who actually qualifies and how to find out
• Understanding rate locks, points, and whether it makes sense to “float” your rate
• Real talk about affordability: what you can buy vs. what you should buy

Referenced Episodes

• 424 - First Time Home Buyers: Chloe & Eduardo Close on a Home (INTERVIEW)
• 340 – Down Payment Assistance, Discovery Calls & Lending Myths (INTERVIEW)
• 339 - Don’t Get Pre-Qualified—Get a Plan (INTERVIEW)
• 247 - INTERVIEW: Tips from Expert (Unicorn) Realtor & Lending Team - VA First Time Home Buyer

Check out our updated 2026 First Time Homebuyer's Episode Guide - Over 100 of our BEST Episodes of Detailed Homebuying Knowledge, Interviews, and MORE!

Connect with me to find a trusted realtor in your area or to answer your burning questions!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel @HowToBuyaHome

Instagram @HowtoBuyAHomePodcast

Tik Tok @HowToBuyAHome

Visit our Resource Center to "Ask David" AND get your FREE Home Buying Starter Kit!

David Sidoni, the "How to Buy a Home Guy," is a seasoned real estate professional and consumer advocate with two decades of experience helping first-time homebuyers navigate the real estate market. His podcast, "How to Buy a Home," is a trusted resource for anyone looking to buy their first home. It offers expert advice, actionable tips, and inspiring stories from real first-time homebuyers. With a focus on making the home-buying process accessible and understandable, David breaks down complex topics into easy-to-follow steps, covering everything from budgeting and financing to finding the right home and making an offer.

Subscribe for regular market updates, and leave a review to help us reach more people. Ready for an honest, informed home-buying experience? Viva la Unicorn Revolution - join us!

Check out our updated 2026 First Time Homebuyer's Episode Guide - Over 100 of our BEST Episodes of Detailed Homebuying Knowledge, Interviews, and MORE!

Connect with me to find a trusted realtor in your area or to answer your burning questions!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel @HowToBuyaHome

Instagram @HowtoBuyAHomePodcast

Tik Tok @HowToBuyAHome

Visit our Resource Center to "Ask David" AND get your FREE Home Buying Starter Kit!

David Sidoni, the "How to Buy a Home Guy," is a seasoned real estate professional and consumer advocate with two decades of experience helping first-time homebuyers navigate the real estate market. His podcast, "How to Buy a Home," is a trusted resource for anyone looking to buy their first home. It offers expert advice, actionable tips, and inspiring stories from real first-time homebuyers. With a focus on making the home-buying process accessible and understandable, David breaks down complex topics into easy-to-follow steps, covering everything from budgeting and financing to finding the right home and making an offer.

Subscribe for regular market updates, and leave a review to help us reach more people. Ready for an honest, informed home-buying experience? Viva la Unicorn Revolution - join us!

Learn the essential “last-mile” steps that prevent closing-day surprises—and how to use your first home as the foundation for smarter next-move planning.

This final installment of the 2026 first-time homebuyer checklist breaks down what really happens between offer acceptance and getting your keys—especially the details that tend to blindside buyers in the last week before closing. You’ll learn why the closing date should be treated as a moving target, what to handle early (like utilities and mail), and how to protect yourself when wiring your funds. The episode also zooms out beyond closing day to explain how first-time buyers can build options for “house #2” without automatically selling the first one.

“The actual closing date is fluid.” - David Sidoni

Highlights

• Why is your closing date more of a “target” than a guarantee—and how should you plan around that?
• What do most buyers forget to set up before closing that can create immediate headaches (and fees) after they get the keys?
• How can you avoid wire fraud when sending the biggest wire of your life?
• What’s the “first 48 hours” checklist after acceptance that keeps your deal moving forward?
• If homeowners insurance feels impossible right now, what’s real—and what’s overhyped pessimism?
• How do you start thinking beyond this purchase—so your first home becomes a step toward long-term flexibility, not a financial trap?

Referenced Episodes

• Episode 400 – Introduction: How to Buy a Home Starter Series (START HERE)
• Episode 199 – Boomer’s Homes Were CHEAPER – Plus Credit Pull Myths!
• Episode 392 – New Construction vs. Resale: Which Home Is Right for First-Time Buyers?
• Episode 438 – How Much Are Closing Costs? First Time Homebuyer FAQ

Check out our updated 2026 First Time Homebuyer's Episode Guide - Over 100 of our BEST Episodes of Detailed Homebuying Knowledge, Interviews, and MORE!

Connect with me to find a trusted realtor in your area or to answer your burning questions!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel @HowToBuyaHome

Instagram @HowtoBuyAHomePodcast

Tik Tok @HowToBuyAHome

Visit our Resource Center to "Ask David" AND get your FREE Home Buying Starter Kit!

David Sidoni, the "How to Buy a Home Guy," is a seasoned real estate professional and consumer advocate with two decades of experience helping first-time homebuyers navigate the real estate market. His podcast, "How to Buy a Home," is a trusted resource for anyone looking to buy their first home. It offers expert advice, actionable tips, and inspiring stories from real first-time homebuyers. With a focus on making the home-buying process accessible and understandable, David breaks down complex topics into easy-to-follow steps, covering everything from budgeting and financing to finding the right home and making an offer.

Subscribe for regular market updates, and leave a review to help us reach more people. Ready for an honest, informed home-buying experience? Viva la Unicorn Revolution - join us!

Emily and Patrick share how they went from a cramped $2,400/month one-bedroom rental to owning a 1,400 sq ft Southern California townhome by trusting the numbers, timing the market, and staying organized through the entire process.

After renting for years and assuming Southern California homeownership would be out of reach, Emily and Patrick learned their buying power by working through their numbers with a lender and adjusting their price bracket strategically. They toured roughly a dozen homes, hit a rare slower moment in the local 2025 market, and ended up being the only offer on a townhome that needed mostly cosmetic updates. Emily practiced the future mortgage payment in advance using a spreadsheet budget and shifted savings into safer accounts once they began seriously shopping. From inspection through closing, they describe the process as surprisingly smooth—largely because they stayed document-ready and followed each step quickly online.

Highlights

• How do you decide it’s worth paying more than your rent to own—especially in an expensive market like Southern California?
• What’s the fastest way to get clarity on what you can actually afford before you fall in love with the wrong price range?
• How can touring “enough” homes help you recognize the right one—and avoid panic when the search starts to feel hopeless?
• What can first-time buyers do to make closing feel “surprisingly smooth,” even with big numbers and lots of paperwork?

Check out our updated 2026 First Time Homebuyer's Episode Guide - Over 100 of our BEST Episodes of Detailed Homebuying Knowledge, Interviews, and MORE!

Connect with me to find a trusted realtor in your area or to answer your burning questions!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel @HowToBuyaHome

Instagram @HowtoBuyAHomePodcast

Tik Tok @HowToBuyAHome

Visit our Resource Center to "Ask David" AND get your FREE Home Buying Starter Kit!

David Sidoni, the "How to Buy a Home Guy," is a seasoned real estate professional and consumer advocate with two decades of experience helping first-time homebuyers navigate the real estate market. His podcast, "How to Buy a Home," is a trusted resource for anyone looking to buy their first home. It offers expert advice, actionable tips, and inspiring stories from real first-time homebuyers. With a focus on making the home-buying process accessible and understandable, David breaks down complex topics into easy-to-follow steps, covering everything from budgeting and financing to finding the right home and making an offer.

Subscribe for regular market updates, and leave a review to help us reach more people. Ready for an honest, informed home-buying experience? Viva la Unicorn Revolution - join us!

Learn how to negotiate smarter by using flexibility, contract timelines, and inspection strategy—without giving up the protections first-time buyers need.

This episode breaks down what actually drives real estate negotiations (and why preparation months ahead protects your leverage). You’ll learn how earnest money, contingency timelines, seller disclosures, and home inspections shape both your risk and your negotiating power. It also covers why asking for credits can be cleaner than repair requests—and closes with a practical credit score “nugget” to help you avoid last-minute financing surprises.

“It all comes down to two simple concepts. Real estate is all about time and money.”

• How does flexibility on timing help you negotiate a better price without feeling “desperate”?
• What do earnest money and contingency deadlines really protect—and what happens if you miss them?
• Which seller disclosure details should make you slow down, ask questions, or renegotiate?
• Why is waiving a home inspection usually a risky move for first-time buyers—even in a competitive market?
• When should you ask for a seller credit instead of repairs to avoid last-minute closing chaos?
• What’s the fastest way to improve your mortgage-ready credit score if you waited too long to start?

• Episode 175 – How to win in BIDDING WARS in the 2023 market
• Episode 176 – How to win in BIDDING WARS in 2023 – Part 2
• Episode 177 – How to win in BIDDING WARS in 2023 – Part 3
• Episode 332 – Home Inspections: What’s Normal vs Red Flag? (110 Replay)
• Episode 340 – Down Payment Assistance, Discovery Calls & Lending Myths (INTERVIEW)
• Episode 400 – Introduction: How to Buy a Home Starter Series (START HERE)
• Episode 403 – How to Buy a Home - Step 3: Improving Your Credit Score (16 Pro Tips)
• Episode 412 – Breaking Your Lease (Is It Necessary?)
• Episode 415 – Financially Prepare to Buy Your First Home 2.0 - Pt. 1
• Episode 416 – The Best Budgeting Apps - Financially Prepare to Buy Your First Home - 2.0 Pt. 2 - (Replay of Ep. 371)
• Episode 417 – 8 Critical Tips – Financially Prepare to Buy Your First Home 2.0 - Pt. 3
• Episode 419 – Cut Big Costs - Financially Prepare to Buy Your First Home 2.0 - Pt. 4
• Episode 420 – Managing Student Debt - Financially Prepare to Buy Your First Home - Pt. 5
• Episode 423 – Using Your 401(k) - Financially Prepare to Buy Your First Home - Pt. 6
• Episode 426 – Lowering Your Down Payment – Financially Prepare to Buy Your First Home – Pt. 7
• Episode 437 – What Is a Unicorn Realtor? First Time Homebuyer FAQ:
• Episode 440 – First Time Homebuyer Playbook (Part 1): Rent Replacement Strategy
• Episode 441 – First Time Homebuyer Playbook (Part 2): The Last Lease Ever
• Episode 443 – First Time Homebuyer FAQ: What Can I Actually Afford in 2026?

Check out our updated 2026 First Time Homebuyer's Episode Guide - Over 100 of our BEST Episodes of Detailed Homebuying Knowledge, Interviews, and MORE!

Connect with me to find a trusted realtor in your area or to answer your burning questions!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel @HowToBuyaHome

Instagram @HowtoBuyAHomePodcast

Tik Tok @HowToBuyAHome

Visit our Resource Center to "Ask David" AND get your FREE Home Buying Starter Kit!

David Sidoni, the "How to Buy a Home Guy," is a seasoned real estate professional and consumer advocate with two decades of experience helping first-time homebuyers navigate the real estate market. His podcast, "How to Buy a Home," is a trusted resource for anyone looking to buy their first home. It offers expert advice, actionable tips, and inspiring stories from real first-time homebuyers. With a focus on making the home-buying process accessible and understandable, David breaks down complex topics into easy-to-follow steps, covering everything from budgeting and financing to finding the right home and making an offer.

Subscribe for regular market updates, and leave a review to help us reach more people. Ready for an honest, info

Part 2 of the 2026 essential checklist shows first time homebuyers how to research neighborhoods, tour homes strategically, and protect themselves while shopping in today’s weird housing market. 

This episode jumps from planning into the “fun stuff”: a practical checklist for researching neighborhoods and shopping for homes like a pro instead of a scrolling-Zillow zombie. You’ll learn how to use tools like Google Maps, Street View, WalkScore, crime maps, school ratings, zoning plans, and even old-school paper maps to understand a community before you ever step inside a house. David then walks through smart touring strategy—bundling showings, ranking your top three, watching for surveillance cameras, checking commute times and internet service, and touring midweek to beat the weekend crowds. Finally, he explains how to avoid traps with open houses and new construction, why list prices are “garbage,” how to spot opportunity in “back on market” and badly photographed listings, and why your realtor’s most valuable job is negotiating and protecting you once you’ve found a home.

Highlights

• How can you use online tools and maps to spot the right neighborhoods before you ever book a showing? 
• What should you look for when driving neighborhoods at different times of day to really understand daily life there? 
• How do you protect yourself at open houses and new construction sites so you don’t accidentally give up your right to representation or overpay? 
• Why are list prices “garbage,” and how can back-on-market homes, ugly photos, and current market conditions actually work to your advantage?  

Referenced Episodes

• 444 – February 2026 is a Buyers Market - What First Time Homebuyers Need to Know
• 367 – Why Financial Advisors Can’t Help You Buy a Home - INTERVIEW
• 368 – The Truth About Renting: What You’re Really Paying For - INTERVIEW
• 370 – The Truth About Tax Breaks for First-Time Buyers - INTERVIEW
• 408 – How to Buy a Home - Step 8: Using the Internet to Buy a Home
• 392 – New Construction vs. Resale: Which Home Is Right for First-Time Buyers?
• 440 – First Time Homebuyer Playbook (Part 1): Rent Replacement Strategy
• 441 – First Time Homebuyer Playbook (Part 2): The Last Lease Ever

Check out our updated 2026 First Time Homebuyer's Episode Guide - Over 100 of our BEST Episodes of Detailed Homebuying Knowledge, Interviews, and MORE!

Connect with me to find a trusted realtor in your area or to answer your burning questions!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel @HowToBuyaHome

Instagram @HowtoBuyAHomePodcast

Tik Tok @HowToBuyAHome

Visit our Resource Center to "Ask David" AND get your FREE Home Buying Starter Kit!

David Sidoni, the "How to Buy a Home Guy," is a seasoned real estate professional and consumer advocate with two decades of experience helping first-time homebuyers navigate the real estate market. His podcast, "How to Buy a Home," is a trusted resource for anyone looking to buy their first home. It offers expert advice, actionable tips, and inspiring stories from real first-time homebuyers. With a focus on making the home-buying process accessible and understandable, David breaks down complex topics into easy-to-follow steps, covering everything from budgeting and financing to finding the right home and making an offer.

Subscribe for regular market updates, and leave a review to help us reach more people. Ready for an honest, informed home-buying experience? Viva la Unicorn Revolution - join us!

A first-time buyer shares how early planning, relocating for affordability, and buying with a family member helped three roommates become homeowners in California. 

Eric, his partner, and their cousin Alex were priced out of San Jose and chose to explore Bakersfield after realizing it fit their budget and lifestyle goals. They spent time learning the city firsthand (including a smart Uber/Lyft approach that doubled as income and neighborhood research) while working through job changes and loan qualification. Eric explains how pre-planning with a mortgage pro reduced last-minute stress, and how they protected themselves by backing out of an escrow when a solar loan complication became too costly. The story ends with their team finding a better home quickly—one that met their must-haves—and a reminder that the process can be a stop-and-go emotional rollercoaster. 

Highlights

• How early should a first-time homebuyer talk to a mortgage broker and realtor to avoid last-minute stress? 
• What’s the smartest way to “learn a new city” before buying—while also earning extra income? 
• How can two people qualify for a mortgage even when a third household member isn’t ready to be on the loan yet? 
• When should a buyer walk away from a deal in escrow—and how do you do it without losing your deposit?  

Check out our updated 2026 First Time Homebuyer's Episode Guide - Over 100 of our BEST Episodes of Detailed Homebuying Knowledge, Interviews, and MORE!

Connect with me to find a trusted realtor in your area or to answer your burning questions!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel @HowToBuyaHome

Instagram @HowtoBuyAHomePodcast

Tik Tok @HowToBuyAHome

Visit our Resource Center to "Ask David" AND get your FREE Home Buying Starter Kit!

David Sidoni, the "How to Buy a Home Guy," is a seasoned real estate professional and consumer advocate with two decades of experience helping first-time homebuyers navigate the real estate market. His podcast, "How to Buy a Home," is a trusted resource for anyone looking to buy their first home. It offers expert advice, actionable tips, and inspiring stories from real first-time homebuyers. With a focus on making the home-buying process accessible and understandable, David breaks down complex topics into easy-to-follow steps, covering everything from budgeting and financing to finding the right home and making an offer.

Subscribe for regular market updates, and leave a review to help us reach more people. Ready for an honest, informed home-buying experience? Viva la Unicorn Revolution - join us!