Today, host Zander Sprague sits down with David Sidoni, a former actor turned real estate expert, to explore the power of reinvention, following your passions, and turning Hollywood dreams into reality. David shares his inspiring journey from a successful acting career to founding the How to Buy a Home company, where he empowers first-time homebuyers with the tools they need to succeed. This engaging conversation highlights overcoming challenges, embracing change, and taking bold steps toward creating an epic life. Don’t miss this uplifting discussion about achieving your dreams and making your goals a reality!
#EPICBeginswith1StepForward, #ZanderSprague, #HowToBuyAHome, #RealEstateExpert, #HomeBuying
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From Hollywood Dreams To Real Estate Reality: David Sidoni’s Story
In this episode, I am honored to be joined by David Sidoni. David, tell us who you are and what you do.
From Child Actor To Real Estate Expert
First of all, it’s a lot to live up to I have to be epic but I appreciate it. I’m in the third act of my life. In my twenties, I watched movies and TV. I was an actor and had a wonderful career. In my late twenties, I adjusted because I wanted to have a family. You have to be in the top 1% or you’re hustling your whole life in showbiz. I started investing in real estate and immediately turned to the selling side of real estate, where I was working with people instead of numbers and investors. I did that for about a dozen years. It was around 2018 when my wife looked at me and said, “You’re only happy when you work with the first-time home buyers that you’ve been working with.”
In 2019 at 49 years old, I started and founded the How to Buy a Home company. I threw all my chips into one pot and said, “I hope this works.” It’s been wonderful years of having a company that is service-based and client-based, helping underserved people achieve what in North America is the ultimate foundation for your financial stability. I’ve done it through the medium of mostly podcasting. We’re doing YouTube and social media. I’m an old guy hoping that people will listen to the cringy old man and realize that I know what I’m talking about and I can help you.
First of all, I don’t believe that we’re old, David. It’s a state of mind. If you don’t mind because it is a fascinating part of your background, you started off as a teenage adolescent actor.
I had the most bizarre showbiz career. At seventeen years old, I quit soccer, where I had scholarship opportunities to go to Division One schools. Between my junior and senior years, we had one of those famed schools that opened on my campus. That’s when I fell in love with musical theater. I pursued that for a little while. When I was twenty years old, I got lucky. There was a Disney movie musical called Newsies.
I’ve seen it.
It was me, Christian Bale, Robert Duvall, Ann Margret, and a bunch of other kids running around singing and dancing about the union strike at the turn of the century, the last two centuries ago. In that movie, I worked with Gene Kelly, Kenny Ortega, and all these big wigs. I started dancing professionally and I danced with Michael Jackson. I was on a teenage show that was for adolescents. I was in all those crazy Tiger Beat magazines and stuff. It was like Saturday Night Live for what we called tweenagers.
I then started hosting TV shows and that’s where things got interesting. I did all kinds of television hosting like Ryan Seacrest and Mario Lopez model. I was the Pat Sajak for the kid’s version of Wheel of Fortune. My Vanna was a cartoon. It was a girl behind the board wearing one of those green suits with ping-pong balls all over her. I talked to her cartoon all day for eight hours. At 28 years old, it was an interesting life.
Somewhere around then was when I was working with the legend Dick Clark. I was having a bad day and he told me, “Just so you know, you can’t have a bad day. You have to be on all the time because you’re on camera.” That’s when I started to refocus and think about what my career was going to be. I ended up moving, getting married, settling down, and doing all the other things I wanted to do with my life.
The Importance Of Choice And Change In Life
An important part I talk about in my book is we all have a choice in our lives. Just because we’ve done something, be it a career, relationship, or lifestyle for X number of years or months, you don’t have to keep doing that. Certainly, in my career, I’ve done a host of different things, things I never thought I would do. I’m not quite as good as being on TV yet but I’m hopeful that I’ll be on TV soon.
My point is if it isn’t working for you, you can make a change. Change is scary. I’m sure for you, you were like, “What am I going to do? I’ve got everything. I’m going to walk away from this. I’m walking away from a paycheck.” As much as one has stability in the entertainment industry, it sounds like you did have some stability. You were truly a working actor.
I love these broad topics and understanding where to find those epic moments in your life and those moments that mean something to you. At seventeen years old when I had a stable simple, I went to college on a sports scholarship. I played soccer. It made sense. That was easy. I always said I was going to follow my passion. My parents sat down with me and they were very clear.
Immediately at 18 and 19 years old, I was taking dance classes in the daytime and general education classes because they didn’t let me skip college completely. I was working at a diner from 9:00 at night until 4:00 in the morning, sleeping for four hours, and then going right back to it the next day. I was lucky I was a precocious kid saying, “I want to follow my passion.” I didn’t have a security blanket. I was a working actor but I struggled.
As an entrepreneur, I can look and say, “I got paid this week or month. As a real estate person, I closed three houses this month and that’s great,” but you’re still worried about, “What about next month?” Just because it’s good today doesn’t mean it’s good tomorrow. The real estate market can and does go cyclical. All of a sudden, you’re flying high and the next day, you’re crying because you’re like, “I can’t sell anything.” If you have investment properties, all of a sudden you’re like, “The value of that is below what I owe and no one wants to buy.”
Sales, investing, sports, and showbiz are all great training grounds for entrepreneurship. When you wake up every day, you have to create what happens. Not to mention the fact that when you’re on a gig, you’re auditioning for the next one. It’s the same way the W-2 employees might feel like they’re auditioning for a promotion every day. You still know where your paychecks coming from in the next two weeks. Showbiz prepared me.
Sales, investing, sports, and showbiz are all great training grounds for entrepreneurship.
One of the things I learned when I first became a professional speaker was Mark Victor Hansen, I believe said, “Understand that when you get done with a speaking gig and you walk off the stage, you’re another unemployed speaker.” It’s the same way with acting. Whatever you’ve been hired for, you go back to looking for the job. As an entrepreneur, once you wink that deal, that’s great but where’s the next deal coming? That is stressful. One of the things I wanted to ask you as you’re here in the real estate market is what do you do to take care of yourself? Self-care is important.
The Value Of Self-Care In High-Stress Professions
It’s interesting that you asked that because I had numerous different things. I was at a conference and the author of Atomic Habits was there. I’ve known that. Since the ‘90s, I’ve been on this personal growth journey myself. Getting those habits has been important. Whether it’s walking the dogs, what I found is flexible habits. Routine is wonderful but the flexibility like where I am, how old my dogs are, and how old my kids are, I’ve had to take that time blocking and adjusting it throughout. What’s funny is a few months ago, I finally broke down.
I was having a Zoom with one of my colleagues and she was bouncing up and down while she was talking to me because she was on one of those treadmills under your desk. Now, that’s part of my routine. Every morning, I do a little coffee in the backyard. I’m fortunate to live in Southern California. For 360 days a year, I can sit in the backyard and it’s gorgeous. I’ll have a little coffee and a moment with me and the dogs outside. I do something physical for myself in the morning. I’m hoping that a year on that walk-in treadmill will start to see a difference.
Exercise is so important for so many reasons. It is part of creating your epic life. I don’t want to sound too preachy but movement is life. Perhaps, there are a few miles on the old chassis here, David. Movement is what keeps us going. When you start off, you have the chance to work with Gene Kelly and these people. We look at people as they age and some of them are incredible. You’re like, “Look at that person.” You use it or lose it.
I saw Dick Van Dyke.
There was a whole thing about him having to evacuate or something.
The guy from Coldplay reached out to Dick Van Dyke for his 99th birthday and said, “I’ve been a fan forever for you,” and created this entire project for him. I’m a fan of his. For the past years in his 90s, he’ll show up on award shows like the Tony Awards. He does a little dance. The guy has been kept young forever.
It’s so important. It was interesting when I was going through graduate school, getting my Master’s in mental health counseling. It didn’t matter the course. All my professors talked about creating self-care and a plan. I took that to heart. Perhaps it’s because I was older than most of my colleagues. I was 45 and they were 22. They’re like, “I’ll do that.” I’m like, “No, I get that.”
In graduate school when I started doing counseling as a practicum and stuff, I was doing the self-care routine. It’s so important. As a mental health provider, I have to hold a lot of stuff for a lot of people. As a real estate agent, you’re holding these new home buyers. There’s a lot of anxiety, worry, and unknown. You’re there holding that for them. At some point, you have to do something for you to let go of some of that stuff.
Understand whatever it is that you need to do to recharge. Starting a brand new company at 49 years old and sitting here at 54 and doing my thing, so much of it has been about, “Where are my moments during the day?” I love the era we live in. I used to listen to music. I still listen to music at certain times but when I’m in the shower, it’s an inspirational podcast, whether it’s a business podcast or a personal growth podcast. That’s what I’m blasting in the speaker.
I had to get one of those wet-dry things to take notes because I came up with so many ideas in the shower. On some days, it’ll be music but understanding what kind of recharge you need, when, and most importantly, the beauty of the fact that it’s right there on our phone. We have 1,000 recharge devices. I don’t mean the actual device like the phone.
There is but there’s also something to be said like you have your coffee and moment in the backyard of unhooking from all of it. I love my technology and the instant answer. “David Sidoni, hold on. Let me go to IMDb and see what he’s been in.” I love IMDb. I watch all the time and I’m like, “I know that person. Where do I know them from?” It used to be that you spent hours noodling. Now, I go, “Yes. I saw him in Newsies. Awesome.”
The greatest invention in this era is the combination of being able to pause a movie, look somebody up, and then get right back into it. Otherwise, you’re sitting there with the whole movie trying to figure it out.
The greatest invention of this era? Being able to pause a movie, look someone up, and get right back into it.
You’re not paying attention because you’re like, “I know I’ve seen him. Where did I see him?” I do want to give you a chance because it is important and there are lots of first-time home buyers. Tell me a little about how you are helping first-time home buyers.
Empowering First-Time Home Buyers Through Education
I want you to know that I appreciate the opportunity for me to spread the word about the little revolution I’ve got going on but it all stems from the same place of what you’re doing and what your show comes from, which is empowering people. In the dance world and musical theater world, I used to do all kinds of teaching and masterclasses. I go to places to empower people with information that I have gained being a professional.
It wasn’t necessarily glamorous but it was an opportunity to share something with people and let them find inspiration in their lives. Suddenly, we’re almost 50 years old. I’m looking at my wife going, “I can do this with this job now.” I’ve done it on YouTube and the podcast. The podcast seems to be the one that most people enjoy.
When you’re trying to buy a home, it’s the most confusing, befuddling, and overwhelming experience. Nowadays, most people are used to a few clicks to figure something out. Look at some reviews and figure out what the best thing to do is or you’ve got all these companies, whether they’re insurance companies or out there saying, “We’ll compare everybody for you.”
You don’t go to an insurance company, an airline company, or a rental car company. You go to a website that does all the work for you and then says, “Here, this is the best deal.” I wish it was that way in real estate but it’s not. I gave something that people could listen to while they’re doing the dishes, walking the dog, or commuting to work. Learn and get comfortable. Help people get in control of the process.
I say on the podcast, “I’m like your goofy uncle who’s been doing this for a long time and doesn’t necessarily live in your hometown but goes, ‘This is what you’re looking for in a realtor, lender, home inspector, or whatever it is to peel back the curtain, make this less overwhelming, and something that people can feel more confident in.’”
Having bought a few homes, not a lot but some, there’s so much stress that goes into it. I live in the Bay area so the way the real estate market here is ridiculous in the sense that you see a place. You better be ready to go, have the offer, and have it almost pre-written and fill in the number. Knowledge is power. If you understand what’s going to go on, the expectation has been set that this could take a while. You may find what you think is your dream home and you may not get it.
The planning process is the biggest hole in the real estate industry. I preach a lot about how I am trying to start a revolution because the real estate industry if you understand the way it works, is borderline corrupt. Anybody can get a license idiot and the brokers and the large teams make money by hiring people under training them at a level that is ridiculous that a fourteen-year-old could pass the test. The new people say, “How do I learn how to do this?” They say, “Go get clients and sell them a home.” Can you imagine the glass blowers in Venice working like that? No, it’s a twenty-year apprenticeship.
Back when I was living in Boston, I got my real estate license because I was helping a friend of mine do rentals. In Boston, you don’t get an apartment without a real estate agent. I was doing it on the weekends for some extra cash. If I rented an apartment, yay for me. If I didn’t, it wasn’t the end of the world but I learned so much. You’re right. Passing the real estate exam takes a little study but it’s not rocket science. You get out there and all of a sudden, you’re like, “I have no idea what to say.” Let’s talk about lead paint. A lot of old houses have lead paint. How do you answer that question? What is the right way to answer that question if it comes up?
In California in 1974, there was a disclosure that we have and anything beyond that is okay. How many homes are built after 1974? Quite a lot. It’s different in every single area. For people to understand that you have an option as a buyer. Everyone understands you have an option as a seller but I don’t think the general public has been informed enough that you have an option as a buyer to go out and interview people and find out who you want to represent them.
With the beautiful convenience of technology, they save money on their own, work on their debt on their own, and then window-shop on Zillow forever. They find a home they like and call the first person they see online to open the door for them. A realtor shouldn’t be a door opener. A realtor should be working with you six months to a year ahead of time so that you can understand all the creative options that you might have, not only in the financing of the home but also in what neighborhoods to explore. You should know a ton about homes before you ever step foot in one.
You don’t know what you don’t know so you don’t know the questions that you should be asking. The home inspector comes in and tells you all these things. I remember when I bought my first house. I was there and we did the home inspection. I had a moment of freaking out. He’s like, “This isn’t up to code but I have to tell you this. It’s not that it’s wrong but this light switch is not up to today’s code. It’s fine.”
If you’re buying a home that’s more than a month old, something’s not up to code.
You’re going to hear a lot of things. Imagine going to your doctor and your doctor goes, “David, your weight is not exactly what it should be. Your blood pressure’s okay but it’s not great. With your eyesight, you can’t read the small print anymore.” You’d be like, “Oh, my God.” Maybe your weight, for example, is 2 pounds over what the “ideal” is. You’re not about to drop dead of a heart attack. You’re okay.
If your doctor didn’t go, “Ideally, you’d be X. You’re Y but you’re okay because you’re within that range.” With a house, you need to know before you even start. We’re both in California. The price of houses is a huge deal. You shouldn’t be like, “I should know.” Somehow we go to buy a house, which is probably the single largest purchase any of us will make in our life. We’re so ill-informed. We got run over with stuff. I don’t know about you.
Do you talk to people about when you get to the clothes and you go into sign eight gazillion pieces of paper? I would have had more information because it got to the point where I felt like I was at an autograph signing. I’m signing my name. I’m trying to read stuff but you don’t have time to go. Let me read every single line of this and half of it. You wouldn’t understand it even if you did read it. It’s not that I didn’t read. I’m scanning but I’m like, “This section’s about faults. I’m in an earthquake zone or flood zone.” You have to sign it saying that you got them but most people have not poured over the 90 or 150 pages.
Navigating The Closing Process With Confidence
It’s 0.5 inches to 1 inch thick. One of the things I explain to people is they’ll be looking at HGTV and be like, “That’s the realtor I want, someone I vibe with.” I get it. That’s part of it. There has to be a connection but because they have the same visual interior design concept when they look at a kitchen with you doesn’t mean that they can necessarily have been through the closing process multiple times. The preparation before a closing process to explain to a buyer is like, “Ninety-five percent North Americans, this is the largest financial transaction of their life.” You’re rarely going to sit down and sign a bunch of papers. The average is $427,000. Not a lot of people are doing that. Where you are, it’s $800,000.
It’s ridiculous.
Having a team that preps you for that moment and gives you some understanding of what you’re going to be getting into before you get there is crucial to the process. That’s the main mission that I’m trying to do. I’m trying to get the information out there to everybody. I love that you all can research this stuff. Many people say, “I didn’t want to bother a realtor until I was ready.” What that means is they start saving money, look online forever, find the perfect house, and call me.
I’m like, “I wish I could help you but we should have been preparing for this for six months. Get all your finances in order and everything ready to go.” The beauty of the How to Buy a Home platform, both the podcast and YouTube is I’ve got five years of data. For people who reached out to me and said they were going to do this in 12 to 18 months, 72% of them got the keys in 4.2 months, which means they thought they were 1 year or 2 out. They were completely ready. They were looking at homes in 2 months, writing offers in 3 months, and closing 30 days later.
72% of people who thought they were 1-2 years away from buying a home were actually ready in 4 months.
That’s key. Like anything, preparation is everything. You can’t predict everything that’s going to happen. There are times when you find a house that you like. It looks okay. Someone comes in with the last-minute bid and the owners like, “We got a bidding war. Can you go higher?” The fact of the matter is most people are buying close to or at the ceiling that they can afford. “I’ll go $20,000 more.” No, they don’t have that. You come and go, “Here’s my range,” and you as a real estate agent show them their range but the fact of the matter is human nature. We like it better and more comfortable. This house is more expensive because it’s better.
Understanding Your Financial Limits In The Housing Market
I rarely find people who will go $50,000 or $100,000 under what they’re approved for. Almost everybody’s pushing the limit, which is why it’s interesting. Unlike buying a car or computer, there are usable sensible options but when you’re comparing your rent to a mortgage payment, that’s where people go, “If I’m going to pay $500 more or something close to my rent, I want at least that if not better.” That’s where everyone pushes.
David, this has been fascinating. I so enjoy talking with you, to say the least. It has been epic but how can people get ahold of you? How can they find you? How can they get educated?
It’s HowToBuyAHome.com. Everything’s there. There’s a podcast and YouTube channel. It’s all free and educational. We’re helping people all across America, as well as Canada. The goal is to educate and empower people.
David, thank you so much for joining me. I want to remind everyone that if you’re ready to begin your epic journey, go to EPICBegins.com. Most excitingly, in February 2025, I am starting my TV show, EPIC Begins with 1 Step Forward. If you think you’d be a good guest and you live in the Bay Area or you’re willing to travel to the Bay Area, reach out to me. As always, I want to remind everyone that epic choices lead to the epic life that you want.
Important Links
About David Sidoni
David Sidoni has been helping first-time home buyers since 2006. After over a decade of seeing first-hand how the real estate industry was screwing first-timers, he decided to create an educational platform to empower and educate the people who need guidance most. Since 2019, now with over 1.67 million downloads, the How to Buy a Home podcast is the #1 place for renters to find the answers they are looking for.