<prompt> Human: Hello, I am a single 25 yo active duty male looking to buy a house to live in 5 years as well as for investment purposes. Currently have 80k in savings and making 60kyear, though my pay will jump to 76kyear in June 2017 starting radiology residency. I am currently maxing out my TSP and a Roth IRA Im all about those S funds.I want some second opinions and advice about buying a house. 1. Reasonable price range? My parents want me to buy this beautiful 470k home and are willing to help with an additional 50k down but it just feels out of my price range... 2. Difference between VA and conventional loan? I understand that you dont need money down on a VA but if i have a downpayment, are there any advantages for the VA?3. Current status of housing market? Im worried that the market is due for another downtrend and am risk averse in contrast to my current investment setup. Renting is still an option for me but Im going to stay in one location for five years so buying seems pretty reasonable.As a side-note, if I buy, it wouldnt be too hard to find a roommate if I wanted. Any and all thoughtscommentsadvice will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!  <response>: 26, military, working on house 3. Been in your shoes. First, youve GOT to have an exit strategy for what to do with the house ifwhen you PCS. Renting it out is fine, until you have a renter who destroyes your house while youre deployed. Selling it is also an option, but youre gonna take a loss on your closing costs. Think about it, come up with a game plan either way. Regardless of how long you think youre gonna be stationed there, have a freaking plan. Second, dont just assume that the VA loan is the best way to go. Theres a funding fee which can range from 1.25 to 3 of the loan if you dont have a down payment. If youre a vet trying to get a small place and dont have a lot of cash, its a great option. If you have money and are looking at a bigger place, the funding fee can destroy you. Decide what your price range is and how much you can use as a down payment, then shop your loan options. A conventional mortgage requires at least 3.5 down, and PMI Primary Mortgage Insurance is on a sliding scale. Meaning, if you put 3.5 down its gonna be higher than if you put 10 or 15 down. If you have 10 or more for a down payment, chances are that the conventional loan is the best way to go. Shop both options, and shop both options with multiple lenders and get the loan thats best for YOU. Realtors and lenders like to push military folks into a VA loan because its basically a slam dunk for them, but stick to your guns and get the best possible loan. A reasonable price range is going to depend on your income and the market in the area. Im guessing 470K - unless youre a Lt Col - is gonna be too much. Dont get caught in the trap of getting a mortgage payment for exactly your BAH, look at your entire incomeoutgobudget when deciding how much home you can afford. Standard reccomendation is that housing be no more than 14th of your take home pay, so Id target that for your payment, and then see what you can afford after you use your cash on hand except for an emergency fund for your down payment. Housing market - thats something youre gonna have to talk to a local realtor about. Markets that are high military like Kileen TX tend to have a very high turnover and a lot of rentals on the market. This means that your house may not appreciate very well and you wont make much money on it. Markets that have a good mix between military and commercial industry generally have a lower turnover and youre a lot safer buying. I purchased in a mixed area, and then my unit closed down leaving 800 families leaving the local area within a year. There was NO way I was going to try to sell as everyone else was selling, so I opted to keep it and rent it out. Worked out beautifully for me, but I also had a solid property manager on my team. If youre in it for the long term, and are willing to ride the market down and back up, you should be fine. The ones who got hit hard in 2008 were the ones who financed with little to nothing down, then found themselves massively underwater. My theory is its better to lose money you do have than money you dont, and Id rather have paid off the home enough that any dip in value wont send me underwater. Does this help? Anything else I can answer for ya? 