How to Buy a Home David Sidoni & Associates Real Estate

How to Buy a Home David Sidoni & Associates Real Estate Podcast "How to Buy a Home" -David Sidoni, the . First Time Home Buyer specialist. Educating and informing renters everywhere. BRE #01721688
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09/02/2026

How many renters have decided they can’t buy a home without ever finding out?

“I make too much for assistance.”

“I don’t have enough saved.”

“I’m self-employed.”

“I’m not technically a first-time buyer.”

“I probably won’t qualify.”

There’s a dangerous word hiding in all of those statements:

“Probably.”

Don’t reject yourself before someone who understands first-time buyer programs has actually looked at your situation.

Get the facts. Find your real number. Then decide what’s possible.

That’s the lesson behind Down Payment Assistance for First-Time Homebuyers | 2026 Financial Prep Series - Part 4.

09/02/2026

What if the money keeping you from buying a home… isn’t actually the problem you think it is?

Nearly 80% of FHA buyers in one study were eligible for down payment assistance.

Under 17% actually used it.

Why?

A whole lot of buyers assume they won’t qualify before they ever ask.

And with more than 2,700 down payment assistance programs nationwide, that assumption could be an expensive one.

Don’t decide you need another two years of saving based on a number you made up yourself.

Learn your actual options first.

Listen to Down Payment Assistance for First-Time Homebuyers | 2026 Financial Prep Series - Part 4.

08/29/2026

You’re already paying to live with roommates.

What if that same setup helped make owning possible?

House hacking won’t work for everyone. But if you’re already comfortable living with roommates, don’t automatically assume your first home’s entire monthly payment has to come from you alone.

A three-bedroom home that feels uncomfortable on one income could look very different when a roommate contributes toward housing costs.

That’s why the first question shouldn’t always be, “Can I afford this?”

Sometimes it’s:

“What options haven’t I considered yet?”

Savings Strategies for First-Time Homebuyers | 2026 Financial Prep Series - Part 3 explores house hacking, credit, debt, savings, income, and more ways renters can prepare.

08/29/2026

Your family wants to help with your first home.

Awesome.

But before that money starts moving around, call your lender.

Gift funds used in a home purchase may need a paper trail and documentation. Timing can matter too.

That’s exactly why mortgage preparation isn’t the time to make financial moves based on assumptions.

You don’t want to discover AFTER finding the home that money you planned to use needs additional documentation.

The goal isn’t more paperwork.

It’s less drama.

Hear the full strategy in Savings Strategies for First-Time Homebuyers | 2026 Financial Prep Series - Part 3.

08/29/2026

That new car might look great in the driveway.

The problem? You might have a much smaller driveway to shop for afterward.

When you’re preparing to buy your first home, lenders care about your monthly debt obligations.

In this example, a $900 monthly car payment could mean roughly $125,000 less in home loan approval.

That’s why buying a car, opening a credit card, refinancing debt, or making another major financial move shouldn’t happen in a vacuum when homeownership is your goal.

Get your numbers first. Know how the decision affects your homebuying plan. THEN decide what makes sense for you.

Listen to Savings Strategies for First-Time Homebuyers | 2026 Financial Prep Series - Part 3.

The best budgeting app isn’t necessarily the one with the best reviews.It’s the one that fits YOUR goal.And if your goal...
08/28/2026

The best budgeting app isn’t necessarily the one with the best reviews.

It’s the one that fits YOUR goal.

And if your goal is buying your first home, you need more than an app that tells you where your money disappeared last month.

You need a tool that helps you make a plan for where it goes next.

David researched the current options and narrowed down five worth checking out: YNAB, Monarch Money, Quicken Simplifi, NerdWallet and Copilot.

No sponsorships. No affiliate ranking.

Just tools worth researching if you’re ready to turn “I want to buy someday” into an actual financial plan.

Save this one for later.

🎧 Episode 516: Budgeting Apps for First-Time Homebuyers in Today’s Housing Market | 2026 Financial Prep Series - Part 2

08/28/2026

What if saving for a home didn’t mean becoming miserable for two years?

Budgeting gets treated like punishment way too often.

No coffee. No concerts. No brunch. No trips.

Nah.

Want the coffee? Budget for it.

Want the trip? Budget for it.

Want to stop paying rent someday? Budget for that too.

The goal isn’t to stop living your life while you save.

“You’re not giving up the fun, you’re choosing where the fun goes.”

🎧 Episode 516: Budgeting Apps for First-Time Homebuyers in Today’s Housing Market | 2026 Financial Prep Series - Part 2

08/28/2026

Your budgeting app might be showing you the problem instead of helping you fix it.

There’s a BIG difference between tracking your spending and actually budgeting your money.

A tracker looks backward.

A budget helps you decide where your money needs to go BEFORE you spend it.

And when you’re trying to buy your first home, one of those jobs should be building your home savings.

You don’t just need to know where $300 disappeared last month.

You need a plan for where the next $300 is going.

🎧 Episode 516: Budgeting Apps for First-Time Homebuyers in Today’s Housing Market | 2026 Financial Prep Series - Part 2

08/25/2026

Saving for a house doesn’t have to start with some giant number.

Start with the habit.

$20 a week? Cool.

Automate it.

Then, as you learn your real homebuying numbers and build your financial plan, you can adjust.

The mistake is waiting until you have enough money to make saving feel “worth it.”

This is Part 1 of 2 because starting the habit is only the beginning. Next, we’ll keep building the financial strategy that can give you more options when you’re ready to buy.

You’re Closer Than You Think, Start Saving Now | 2026 Financial Prep Series - Part 1

Start small. Start early. Just don’t wait to start.

08/25/2026

What if the homebuying timeline in your head is completely wrong?

A lot of renters assume buying is still years away because they don’t know what their actual options are.

Here’s what we’ve seen: 72% of renters who came to How to Buy a Home believing they were 12–18 months away ended up under contract in 3.2 months after learning what was actually possible for them.

That doesn’t mean everyone can buy in 3.2 months.

It means you shouldn’t decide you’re years away before you know your numbers and your options.

And that’s exactly why we’re starting this financial prep series here.

You’re Closer Than You Think, Start Saving Now | 2026 Financial Prep Series - Part 1

This is Part 1 of 2 on getting your savings strategy started. Part 2 continues with more ways to financially prepare before you think you’re ready.

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