<prompt> Human: So here is my logic: max our your 401K, invest it well, avoid taxes and then cash it out to buy your first home.I know that youd be taking a hit in terms of retirement savings but a house is still an investment and if youre simultaneously maxing out your Roth IRA and HSA I dont think it would do much damage.What do you all think about this?  <response>: a house is still an investmentYou see, this is where youre wrong. A house is a liability that often looks like it was an investment after ignoring all of the maintenance costs and taxes you plowed into it. And yes, some people luck out and make a lot of money.On the flip side some people lose a lot.In the end, a primary residence is a utilitarian purchase: it is shelter. It can be expensive, you might just make money on it, but thats not the point nor the way I would suggest you looking at it.Also, do not cash out retirement accounts. It makes absolutely no sense. If your investment horizon is long enough to make investing your down payment money worthwhile do it is a taxable brokerage account. But based on the rest of your post Im going to bet you are talking about a few years, not 5-10, which means you shouldnt be investing it unless you are okay with potentially delaying your plans to buy. 