<prompt> Human: Hello friends, So Im 25 years old, single, and making around 42k 2 year and Im really just looking for a reality check on whether or not buying a 100k house makes sense for me right now. Im bringing home around 2400 per month. I have 37k liquid and 10k in EEE bonds that have matured that I can cash for a down payment emergency fund. Ive been living at home since I graduated which has allowed me to save quite a bit. No debt to speak of. Car is paid off and have no student loans. My only monthly expenses currently areCell phone -50Car insurance - 80Gas - 150-200Groceries -150Piano lessons - 80The only problem is Im not really satisfied with my job. I know I want to stay in this area for quite a while, but its not the greatest as far as job opportunities go and Id likely have to take a pay cut to start over in a different career. So my current plan is to save for another 6 months - 1 year, purchase a house for under 100k possibly over 20 down payment, and pay down the mortgage aggressively, and maybe consider a career change after its paid off? Is this feasible or am I crazy. Thanks in advance for any help youre able to offer Assistant: A 100k house is within reason for someone with a 42k income, no debt, and 47k in liquidish assets. The general guideline is to earn at least 13 of the homes price annually as well as have a 20 down payment.If youre still unsure about your career and location though, I would definitely hold off. Build your savings more and stay flexible. A golden opportunity may open up that you dont want to have to turn down because youre tied up.Human: Im fairly certain Im going to be in this area for a long time, but my career is my biggest concern right now. The job Im in right now is fairly stable, and Id have no problem staying here until I paid off the house, but I just dont know if its something I want to continue doing long term. On paper it seems like on ok idea to just continue doing what Im doing until I get a house paid off, but it just feels so risky committing to something like a mortgage knowing I intend to try and career change in the near future. Assistant: So Im 25 years old, single, and making around 42kI was in this boat 10 years ago; dont buy until you need so many bedrooms the cost of a house renting... I bought a house because cost was about the same. I ended up not being able to move and get the better jobs and was stuck in a local job market.The exception is if you are in a very large city... like New York or Chicago or L.A. then yeah buying can make sense.tl;dr - so just like uSaltLakeGritty says, dont buy a house now.EDIT: also think about the maintenance and utility bills and all the other things that come with owning vs renting.Human: You make a lot of good points. Honestly one of the main reasons I was considering buying over renting is because, like you said, its basically cheaper to buy than rent around here. The cheapest 1 bedroom I can find is like 900mo without utilities. It really sucks because I love this area, but its pretty rural and the job market is a bit bleak. Maybe I should just wait a bit and see where my career takes me before making any rash decisions  <response>: but its pretty rural and the job market is a bit bleak.DANGER! DANGER! definitely do not buyEDIT: wealth and happiness are fairly well linked up until you earn a living salary in the 70k range for a family right now in the midwest 