First-Time Home Buyer: The Complete Playbook to Avoiding Rookie Mistakes

Save a fortune at the closing table and beyond—and dodge the common financial pitfalls of first-time homeownership—with “exceptionally practical” and “clear” advice (Grant Sabatier, bestselling author of Financial Freedom).

No matter how much you want to escape the renter’s cycle, buying a house isn’t always a good investment. Your home can make or break your chance to generate wealth and freedom—and this book will show you how to make the right decisions to give you the most financial flexibility possible.

Scott Trench and Mindy Jensen of the BiggerPockets Money Podcast have been buying and selling houses for a collective thirty years. In First-Time Home Buyer, they’ll give you a “real-world masterclass” in the home-buying process (Brad Barrett, co-host of the ChooseFI Podcast)—so you can consider all of your options and avoid common mistakes before you jump into the life-changing role of homeowner. Buy your first house with your eyes wide open, and learn the strategies that will help you build a strong financial foundation for life.

In this book, you’ll learn:

• How to find and analyze the homes you can actually afford
• When to buy a house instead of renting—and what to look for and avoid
• How to improve your financial fitness before your next big purchase
• Which early decisions and steps will help you turn your first home into a future cash-flowing investment
• Whether fixer-upper houses and home renovations are really worth it
• How to choose a real estate agent and a lender who have your best interests in mind
• An expert’s view of the housing market and buying process—from loan pre-approval to submitting offers, home inspections, closing, and everything in between!

Scott Trench is CEO of BiggerPockets, co-host of the BiggerPockets Money Podcast, a real estate investor and broker, and a bestselling author. Through a solid understanding of money management, calculated risks, and a lot of hard work, he created financial freedom for himself as well as a successful real estate business just three years after graduating college. In his breakout personal finance book, Set for Life, he shares his financial expertise so others can repeat his results in just three to five years, giving them the option to go anywhere they want in the world, work any job, start any business, or finish out the journey to financial independence and retire early. Scott currently lives in Denver, Colorado and enjoys skiing, rugby, craft beers, and terrible punny jokes.

Mindy Jensen has been buying and selling homes for more than twenty years. Currently, she’s working on her ninth live-in flip―she buys ugly houses, moves in, makes them beautiful, sells them, and starts the process all over again. She is a licensed real estate agent in Colorado, co-host of the BiggerPockets Money Podcast, author of How to Sell Your Home, and the Community Manager for BiggerPockets.com, where she helps new and experienced investors learn the best real estate investing techniques to build wealth. She currently owns a single-family rental, a short-term rental, a mobile home park, and a co-working space, plus she has taken part in syndications, private lending, and seller financing deals. Mindy is passionate about financial freedom, and she wants to help as many people reach this milestone as possible so they can live their best lives. When you can get her to stop talking about real estate, you can find her on her bike or adventuring in the beautiful mountains of Colorado.