<prompt> Human: I am 24, have almost 20k in the bank, make almost 50k a year and have no debt or payments. In my mind I see the only logical choice as being to sit a couple months or a year until I find that sweet spot of a home thats a little dumpy so as to be cheap but in a decent area so little crime and new enough to not represent serious risk or repairs. For me, I would like to target something in the range of 60k give or take I live in the midwest. Then I would like to just invest as much as possible. My parents tend to think Im crazy and that I should buy about a 120k home as it would be in a better area and appreciate over time. I would make my money back and then some. This just... doesnt make sense? You only make money if youre lucky enough for it to realize and actual increase in value, sell it at an actual profit and then buy downward assuming no renting. And then its just a linear, one time profit as opposed to annually compounding like interest on a real investment. Wouldnt it make more sense to just start out with a cheaper home with that realized profit up front and invest it right away?I have many thoughts on why this makes sense, but having done little actual research I feel like maybe theres something Im missing considering how strongly my parents feel about it... Any thoughts? Which would yield a higher profit on average, 10, 20, 30 years down the road? Is there any financial reason to not buy a cheap home if crimerepair costs are reasonably mitigated?Assistant: I wouldnt be buying at all at 24. Too great a chance my life will change of the next 5-10 years. And Id prefer to be focused on building a career, not house related stuff. Houses are primarily lifestyle choices, not investments. Invest instead.Human: Yes I have heard the sentiment about life changes, and I think thats valid. But is the cost of losing money renting not greater than whatever immobility there is in a home? Or would it just be a personal decision and financially neutral?Basically Im living for free but only until december. I have to make some housing choice by then.  <response>: The renting is throwing money away logic is false. Many people underestimate the costs associated with home ownership. 