Show Notes
Priced out of your city? Explore 22 ways to rethink your down payment, monthly costs, and homebuying budget without waiting for a crash.
High home prices and 7% mortgage rates can make buying in an expensive city feel impossible, especially when you're worried about becoming house poor. Explore 22 financial strategies, including seller concessions, rate buydowns, lower down payments, and assistance programs you might not think to check. Then follow a Denver couple's budget breakdown for a $700,000 home to understand how temporarily redirecting savings changed their math, and what that trade-off involved.
"Affordability isn't only something you save into. A lot of it gets found." - David Sidoni, Nationwide First Time Homebuying Coach
Highlights Could seller-paid closing costs help you more than a lower purchase price? What does waiting for a 20% down payment leave out of your affordability math? Could you qualify for down payment assistance even with a six-figure household income? Why might an online mortgage calculator give you an incomplete picture? How did a Denver couple rethink their budget for a $700,000 home? What trade-offs should you examine before redirecting retirement contributions toward housing?
Referenced Episodes & Resources 522 - Low Down Payment Strategies - First Time Homebuyer Options in This Economy 523 - Your Rent Payment Is Already 79% of a Mortgage (Here's What You're Missing) 524 - Make this Your Last Lease Ever - Stop Renting, Start Earning Equity 525 - Rent vs. Buy in 2027? 526 - The Housing Market Sucks: Should You Wait to Buy a Home? 532 - Preparing for the Next 5 Months.... (Finding Affordable Options for You) 539 - Seller Concessions: How to Lower Your Cash to Close 541 - 2026 High Rates Means Buyer Leverage - MARKET UPDATE 533 - Mortgage Planning Tips for First Time Homebuyers 464 - This ONE Myth is Killing First Time Homebuyers in 2026 521 - Homeowner Tax Savings That Change Your Math | 2026 Financial Prep Series - Part 7 490 - First Time Homebuyer Pros & Cons: New Build vs. Resale 513 - First-Time Homebuyer Headlines & Scams - PART 2 - Summer 2026 Housing Market Update 529 - Beat the Rates: 9 Tips to Make High Interest Rates Affordable in Late 2026 518 - Down Payment Assistance for First-Time Homebuyers | 2026 Financial Prep Series - Part 4 520 - 401(k) Loans are Not That Scary | 2026 Financial Prep Series - Part 6 423 - Using Your 401(k) - Financially Prepare to Buy Your First Home - Pt. 6 433 - First Time Home Buyer: From Daunted to Done-Elizabeth's Ohio Story (INTERVIEW) 519 - Student Loans Aren't Stopping You From Buying a House | 2026 Financial Prep Series - Part 5 447 - First-Time Homebuyer Tax Strategy to Qualify for a Better Mortgage (Interview w/ Dan Mullens, CPA) 469 - Putting a Plan into Action - First Time Homebuyers vs. High Cost of Living 2026 470 - Effective Solutions to Get UNSTUCK - First Time Homebuyers vs. High Cost of Living 2026
HowtoBuyaHome.com/10steps - The #1 Educational System for First-Time Homebuyers in the USA
HowtoBuyaHome.com/Essentials - 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 to 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
More from How to Buy a Home: #1 First Time Homebuyer Podcast
With 87% of Realtors quitting within five years, learn the loophole that lets you skip undertrained agents and hire a true expert instead.
20.8% of homes had a price cut in September, the highest since 2018, and you can turn that seller panic into real savings even with rates over 7%.
Earnest money, AS-IS, appraisal gaps, and escrow: learn what these confusing terms really mean before they cost you money.
Nearly 90% of aspiring buyers are surprised by their closing costs, so learn how to plan for them and skip complications at the closing table.
Rates just hit 7.5%, but scared-off competition and panicked sellers have created one of the strongest buyer's markets in decades.