<prompt> Human: The wife and I are finally on our feet and are making about 100,000 yr combined income. Ive browsed this sub and everyone has specific questions but I am in no rush to get a house. People have talked about 20 down, FHA loans, HUD housing, foreclosures, etc. We are currently living with my parents and paying 0 rent. Our student loans will be paid off in about 6 months. I have friends who are in trades...specifically an electrician, a landscape architect, and a couple jack of all trade type of guys...which sort of makes me want to get in on a foreclosure while the market is down and fix it up. I also dont want to save up for too long where the housing market goes back up and my savings rise slower than the market. Any advice is appreciated. Ive also read about tax liens where you pay someones property tax and they have to pay that back with interest, and if they dont you get their house or something like that. Anyway,Im basically asking that in this current market if you had 100,000 income and friends with trade skills or even if you didnt what would be the best or your preferred method of purchasing a house. Thanks!Assistant: Dont just think house or cash. Get some of that money in the stock market! If youre young, you have plenty of time to ride the highs and lows. If youve got a large amount of cash in a savings account, youre throwing money away. Human: Im 32. Does that count as young? Also, to expand, we dont necessarily want to live with my parents for a super long time either...so though we have no deadline, we also dont want to chill here for more than another year. Plus were wanting kids in the next couple of years as well. Thanks for the advice about the stock market... I need to research that shit.  <response>: Start at the bogleheads.com wiki : dont get sucked into the smart male trader beats the market by day trading fantasy that brokerages love to sell. 