A property that ticks every box. A sunlit living room that opens onto a leafy backyard. A quiet street that’s somehow still walking distance to the best cafés and the train station. For many Australians, that’s the dream first home—the one that feels like it was made just for you.

But here’s the truth: relying on luck to find "the one" could be the reason you end up with a property that hamstrings your future.

In this episode, Veronica and Meighan pull back the curtain on their own first property purchases. They get vulnerable about the cringeworthy "rookie mistakes" they made—from buying with emotional blinkers on to getting lucky in a rising market without having a real strategy. They explain why your first home is the foundation of your entire journey and why one misstep today can cost you a decade of progress tomorrow.

You’ll learn how to tell a "smart" buy from a "lucky" one (hint: luck isn't a strategy you can repeat), why generic advice from ChatGPT or well-meaning family can lead you down the garden path, and how to identify the opportunity cost of a bad first purchase.

From the dangers of buying in the wrong market cycle to the power of the PACE mindset, this episode will give you the 20/20 hindsight we had to earn the hard way—and give you the clarity to move from a "hope and pray" buyer to a confident, strategic homeowner.

00:00 — Introduction: The Excitement and Pitfalls of Buying Your First Home

01:56 — The Importance of Process and the PACE System

04:30 — Exposing the Worst Advice First Buyers Get

11:08 – Understanding Property Value and Pricing

13:15 — Renovation Realities and Regrets

15:55 — The Role of Real Estate Agents

17:33 — Financing and Hidden Costs

22:13 — Long-Term vs. Short-Term Planning

25:40 — The Impact of Your First Property on Future Purchases

27:56 — Conclusion: Luck is Not a Strategy

1. THE First Home Buyer Course is our Step-By-Step, No BS Guide to Every Stage of The Home Buying Process – It’s the next best thing to having your own buyer’s agent. With our expert guidance, you’ll know what to do at every step along the way. Become a home owner faster and easier. Click here: https://homebuyeracademy.com.au/YFHBG

If you enjoyed today’s podcast, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share the show! There’s more to come, so we hope to have you along with us on this journey!

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