They closed on a modest cottage two months later. It wasn't the mansion they'd imagined, but it was theirs—and they still had enough money left over to fix the water heater when it gave out three weeks after move-in.

This was their biggest hurdle. To avoid private mortgage insurance (PMI), they wanted 20%, which on a $400,000 home was $80,000. Sarah pointed out they could put down as little as 3.5% ($14,000) with an FHA loan, but their monthly payments would be higher.

"We have $50,000," Leo said, tapping a calculator. "That’s a huge amount of money. Why does it feel like we’re still short?"

Are you a ? (This often unlocks lower down payment options).