<prompt> Human: I got privileged with a great job offer that will require us to move this summer. Were trying to scrounge up some funds for a down payment, since it appears zero down mortgages are hard to come by since we bought our first house a few years ago.Weve been paying off our debt and are almost done, save for about 8000 in student loan debt. We have about 11K in a front loaded mutual fund TEMWX that this subreddit advised wasnt a great investment anyway. Were toying with pulling that money to use for a down payment. Bad idea? I hate the thought of sacrificing my future for the present, but weve already decided to stop putting any new money in anyway, and let it sit. We do have a 401K, and a pension plan, and a Roth IRA in addition to that fund.If we kept after paying off the debt, we could have it paid off by the end of March. OR, we could let the debt sit for a bit, and stockpile money for a down payment. Any advice on that front? I love the idea of being debt free after cranking away at it for SO long, but it may be a good idea to let it sit a bit longer in this case...I appreciate any advice you find folks can give!  <response>: Do you really need to buy a house? I would seriously consider renting in your new city for at least a year or two. You dont mention an emergency fund, but you absolutely need one - especially if youre moving for a new job. To be a homeowner, you need an even bigger emergency fund, because things break and houses may have hidden problems. It might be a reasonable choice to buy a house if you have a lot of equity in your current house, so you just need short-term financing before selling it. I guess there are also cases where non-financial needs dictate a house purchase - for example, if you have kids and there are no rental options with decent schools. But thats rare. I would probably sell off the TEMWX fund, since taxable investments are far down the priority list for most people. Then apply all of your cash on hand, and future savings, toward the standard priorities that everyone should follow: Starter emergency fund 1000 or 1 months expenses 401k up to the employers match Pay off higher interest debt anything above 4 Larger emergency fund 3 months expenses minimum, 6 months for the average person, more if youre in an unstable career Roth IRA contributions, up to the max Pay off all other debt except a home mortgage Savings for medium term expenses - This is where you start saving for your next home purchase Other investing - this includes extra 401k contributions, extra payments on the mortgage, etc. 