I’m Dat Nguyen. I help first-time buyers buy their first home — with real numbers, plain English, and no jargon. No calculator games, no hidden assumptions. Here’s how this site works: start with the podcast, run your numbers in the calculators, and when you’re ready, start your pre-approval and I’ll run your exact numbers with you.
Not sure where to start? Start with the guides and calculators — free, no application, no pressure.
Start Here — Where are you?
Pick the one that sounds like you. There’s no wrong answer, and nothing here asks you to apply for anything.
Just curious
You’re thinking about it, but you’re not in a rush. Start with the basics, in plain English.
Saving and getting ready
You’re building your down payment and getting your finances in order. Work the plan, step by step.
- The 60-day checklist — also the free PDF checklist form at the bottom of this page
- How to Budget for Buying a House and How to Save for a Down Payment on a House
- Home Affordability Calculator — what price your income and debts actually support
- Mortgage Rates, In Plain English — what a rate actually costs you
Ready to buy
You know your budget and you’re ready to look seriously. Here’s how pre-approval works.
- What Is a Pre-Approval (and a Pre-Qualification)?
- Pre-Approval — the process, the documents, and what happens next
- The 60-day checklist — from first offer to keys
Start here
- Episodes — every episode of the First Time Home Buyer Pros podcast: FHA, VA, credit, down payment help, and the real numbers.
- Blog — the same topics with the full math: what a $700,000 house actually costs, every California down payment program, and what an FHA loan costs per month.
- Tools — calculators that show every line of your payment: affordability, mortgage payment, rent vs. buy, and rate buydowns.
- Down Payment Help — the programs that are actually open right now in California and Texas, with real numbers.
Run your numbers
Before you fall in love with a house, run the full payment — principal, interest, tax, insurance, and mortgage insurance. These calculators show every line, and they never hide the assumptions.
- Home Affordability Calculator — what price your income and debts actually support.
- Home Mortgage Calculator — your full monthly payment, line by line, for FHA, conventional, and VA.
The podcast
31 episodes, one topic each — the show I record for first-time buyers. Start with Episode 1: The Basics, or jump to the latest episode in the player above. See all 31 episodes — or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Follow on Spotify Follow on Apple Podcasts
About Dat
I’m a Certified Mortgage Advisor with Everyday Lending Group, NMLS #1379110, and I’ve spent two decades in real estate and lending. I work almost exclusively with first-time buyers — FHA, conventional, VA, bank statement loans, and down payment assistance in California and Texas. More about me.
Find your agent
Need a buyer’s agent who knows first-time buyers? Find a vetted agent through our partner Home&Money.
Why homebuyers trust Dat
- 5.0 stars from 63 reviewers (Chamber of Commerce, Santa Ana)
- 4.9 out of 5 on Apple Podcasts (24 reviews)
- Top 1% Mortgage Originators in America 2025 — Mortgage Executive Magazine
“Great working with Dat and his team. Very efficient!” — Nick P., Chamber of Commerce
“This process was much easier than I had expected; Thank goodness for Dat and his assistants who were extremely polite despite my needless frustration. They relieved me of that stress. Thanks guys!” — Robert Johnson, Chamber of Commerce
Talk to me
Call me at (714) 705-4013 or email dat@elendingteam.com — or reach the team at (949) 357-5029 / hello@fthbpros.com. Prefer to learn first? Join a free webinar — the next one is November 18, “Price Reduction or Seller Credit?”
Get the free checklist: Buying Your First Home in 60 Days
The 21 steps from first offer to keys in hand — the same list I walk my own buyers through.