I recommend looking for, and buying, a home that needs some work. You should look for houses that are selling at about 80% of the average market value in a neighborhood. These houses will generally need only cosmetic work, and maybe a few minor repairs, but youll save on the price of the house and have extra equity right off the bat. Stay away from houses that need plumbing or electrical work, unless you know someone that will fix it for free. Those fixes cost big bucks, and will eat up much of the savings on the price of the house. Buy the house, make the cosmetic changes, then have it re-appraised. Youll be surprised at how much the value of the house has gone up. (i put value in quotes because the only real way to judge the value of a house is to sell it. An appraisal is simply an estimate of value. ) this will also help you get rid of the pmi, if you didnt have the 20% downpayment, because once the balance of your mortgage falls below 80% of your appraised value, you can petition to get rid of the pmi. Houses can be investments, and like any investment it takes a work to find good value.

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