From “Maybe Next Year” to Homeowner in 4 Months – Elizabeth’s Story (INTERVIEW)
How to Buy a Home
David Sidoni
4.8 • 859 Ratings
🗓️ 28 March 2025
⏱️ 27 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Elizabeth thought she was 12–18 months away from buying her first home. Just four months later, she and her partner Joseph were moving into a sun-filled home they love—for less than list price and with instant equity. This interview breaks down how it happened. After discovering the podcast on Spotify, Elizabeth reached out expecting to take it slow. But with the help of a unicorn lender, she uncovered investment assets she didn’t know she could use, built a plan, and closed fast—without rushing.
She shares how she and Joseph trusted their gut, prioritized layout and light over square footage, and used a job offer letter to qualify for their mortgage. Most importantly, she shows what’s possible when buyers have the right team, real information, and support that puts their goals first.
Quote:
“This is our own place. We don’t have to worry about other people… If there’s problems, we’re in control and we can deal with it ourselves.” — Elizabeth, Episode 327
Highlights:
1. From savings to ownership in 4 months—how a plan made it happen fast.
2. They started with $3,100—and ended up putting 20% down by tapping into investment accounts.
3. Job offer letters work—how Joseph’s future income helped them qualify.
4. The lender made all the difference—six meetings, full education, no pressure.
5. Bank vs. Unicorn Lender—why they ditched the lower rate for real service.
6. Appraisal surprise—they paid under list and the home appraised higher.
7. Light over size—why layout and natural light won over square footage.
Referenced Episodes:
• Episode 301 – Start of the 10-Step First-Time Homebuyer Starter Series
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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.
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Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the show How to Buy a Homies. It's another interview episode with a successful buyer. |
| 0:07.3 | Someone who is listening to the podcast just like you got their questions answered and now they're in their own home. |
| 0:13.5 | There's a lot of tips in this interview where Elizabeth is going to talk to us about understanding the importance of layout versus square footage, making sure that you've |
| 0:22.6 | got an open mind to adjust your expectations because you never know. |
| 0:25.9 | You might find something else that you love. |
| 0:27.6 | And then we'll get deep into some of the details on the two-year job myth, the thing that |
| 0:33.1 | people think they have to have in order to get a loan approval. |
| 0:35.9 | She also tells us about a bank versus a unicorn lender and the gigantic difference she felt. And also some insights on the |
| 0:42.7 | appraisal process because too many people just talk about the horror stories, but in this case, |
| 0:47.9 | there was some good news. Play that music. How to buy a home educates, protects, and connects |
| 0:53.3 | first-time homebuyers to qualify bedded realtors in their area, whether you're looking for DIY information or step-by-step guidance. |
| 1:00.1 | How to buy a home is the number one resource for first-time home buyers. |
| 1:04.8 | Okay, homie, super excited to have another interview for you. |
| 1:08.2 | This is Elizabeth who reached out to me in June, said I need about a year |
| 1:12.9 | and got her home on November 15th. Okay, let's start right off, Elizabeth. You've been in your |
| 1:20.0 | home now, what? Almost four months. Did you get to move in right away? We moved in the first week of December, so a couple weeks after. |
| 1:29.7 | We weren't expecting to close so quickly, so we weren't packed at all by the time we started moving. |
| 1:35.1 | Okay, well, that'll be, we'll ask for moving tips in a little bit here. |
| 1:39.8 | Start with your biggest tip as far as you give any first-time home buyer. |
| 1:45.1 | What's the biggest thing you learned as someone who just went through the process? |
| 1:48.6 | I think the biggest thing was just really that you do have to just go with your gut, |
| 1:54.0 | and there's not necessarily like a set right or wrong for all the decisions that you make. |
... |
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