<prompt> Human: I just started grad school in upstate NY. The average PhD completion time at my university is about 6 years. This year I am paying 700month for rent. I dont make much from the university 20K and an additional 400-500month from private tutoring. How I see it if I spend 700month for 5 more years that is 40k with nothing to show for it. I was thinking of buying a foreclosure and spending the summer fixing it up, or buying a decent condition house for 90k. I see this as a possible investment. I can live in it for the time I am working on my PhD then rent it out to students when I move to do a post doc.Am I crazy?  <response>: You dont want to be renovating a house WHILE doing a PhD.Source: bought house while doing PhD. 