DAVE SA THE BABY TIMELINE

Dear Dave, I’m in the military, and my wife and I have $13,000 in the bank along with $35,000 in a Roth IRA. We also have no debt, and we put $3,500 into our savings account each month. Our new baby is due to arrive this month, so do you think this would be a good time to buy our first home?

—Tom

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Based on the market alone, it’s a great time to buy a house. Interest rates are fantastic, and prices are recovering but still buyerfriendly. However, considering your wife’s delivery date and the fact that it takes a while to find and complete the process of buying a home, I think I’d wait on this. Moving is stressful enough under normal circumstances, but combining that with a pregnancy could shoot your wife’s stress levels into the stratosphere. I really don’t think you want to do that to her. And speaking as an old married guy, it’s something you don’t want to experience, either.

Another thing to consider is if there’s a good chance you’ll be reassigned in the next four or five years. We work with the military a lot, and that means we see people who buy, and get stuck with, homes all over the country. These places usually become rental homes because they don’t sell quickly. And this is a situation you want to avoid because being a long-distance landlord is a real pain. If everything falls into place, you could easily have enough set aside for a big down payment a few months after the baby arrives. At that point, things will feel a little more settled. I know the temptation is great right now to move into a place you can call your own, but you want buying a home to be a blessing, not a curse. Take a little more time, and see how things feel career- and family-wise in a few months. That’s my advice.