Don't leave yourself cash poor when buying a home

In addition to wanting to have an emergency fund ... there are always additional, "unexpected" expenses that come up (e.g., minor repairs, new furniture – there's no way all the furniture from your old home or apartment will perfectly fit into your new home, etc.) This is an additional reason why you should not make a 20 percent down payment on the home you're buying unless you absolutely can afford to do so (i.e., you’ll have cash left over). Moreover, never use retirement money to increase the size of your downpayment.