Congrats on getting out of debt. Marriage with a non-working spouse is soooo nice from a tax standpoint. Personally, I think your savings is a little low to be considering a house in the next year. Focus on increasing your savings rate. If you make 80K, live on 40K, pay 12K in taxes, and save 38K in the next 12 months. You can do it. Then you'll be in a far better position to put a down payment on a house without losing 100% of your savings.

Mortgage rates may be low, but you won't live in your first starter house forever. When you have to move, you'll get a new mortgage at the going rate. I wouldn't base the decision solely on current interest rates. People said rates were at "historic lows" a year ago. Now they're even lower. And houses have plenty of costs as well as benefits. If you have a home, it's far harder to move if you, say, lose your job.

Regarding the Roth, I'd max it out and invest it fully in securities, even if in means waiting on the house for a few more weeks. They're just too good a long term savings vehicle to pass up.


Nick