Business Owners: Use This Trick to Buy Your First Home! (MU Classic)

Sep 12, 2025

David Sidoni, a real estate expert and founder of How to Buy a Home, joins for a deep dive into first-time home buying. He debunks the myth that a 20% down payment is necessary and explains how debt-to-income ratios work. With insights tailored for entrepreneurs, he emphasizes early planning and the importance of a strong support team. David also highlights the overlooked needs of first-time buyers and discusses the implications of recent commission changes in the industry. A must-listen for prospective homeowners!

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ANECDOTE

From Showbiz To First-Home Advocacy

David Sidoni left a 20-year showbiz career to pursue real estate for family stability and found his passion serving first-time buyers.
He built How To Buy A Home after seeing buyers treated poorly and wanting to provide systematized support.

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INSIGHT

Scale Service To Fill A Huge Market Hole

The real estate market is massively saturated with agents and underserves first-time buyers because agents chase higher commissions.
Scaling service via systems lets one serve many first-time buyers without sacrificing quality.

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ADVICE

Plan At Least A Year Ahead

Start planning your home purchase far earlier than you think, ideally 12–18 months out.
Track credit, debt, savings, and explore down-payment options to avoid wasting rent and speed your path to contract.

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Navigating the Path to Empower First-Time Homebuyers

01:54 • 14min

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Finding Your Niche in Real Estate and Leveraging Community Engagement

15:35 • 3min

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Navigating Homebuying for Entrepreneurs

19:04 • 12min

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Navigating Homebuyer Misconceptions

30:35 • 8min

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Navigating the Home-Buying Process

38:38 • 7min

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Valuable Insights on Real Estate and Insurance Customization

45:55 • 3min

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#584 Think you know it all when it comes to first-time home buying? Think again! In this episode, host Brien Gearin is joined by real estate expert and first-time homebuyer advocate David Sidoni, founder of How to Buy a Home. David shares his journey from showbiz to real estate, his mission to help underserved first-time buyers, and the misconceptions that hold many back — like the myth that you need 20% down. He also breaks down how self-employed entrepreneurs can navigate home buying, the impact of recent real estate commission changes, and why working with the right team is critical. Whether you're a future homebuyer or just love smart business insights, this episode is packed with eye-opening advice!

(Original Air Date - 2/10/25)

What we discuss with David:

+ Myth: You need 20% down – Not true for first-time buyers

+ Debt-to-income explained – Lenders assess monthly payments, not total debt

+ Entrepreneurs & mortgages – Self-employed buyers need strategic planning

+ Start earlier than you think – Many buy months sooner than expected

+ First-time buyers are ignored – Most agents prioritize higher-value clients

+ Scaling a niche business – How David built a national agent network

+ NAR lawsuit impact – Buyer commissions remain mostly unchanged

+ Renting vs. buying costs – Long-term financial growth matters

+ Choosing the right team – A great realtor & lender are key

+ From showbiz to real estate – David’s journey to homebuyer advocacy