to the first question i heard a wise man once say you will never get rich from saving money. you will just have money. buying a house is not an asset in my opinion but you have make it into an asset when you sell it. i would say borrow from your 401k or just a loan if you can what makes the most sense and go with it. dave ramsey is a genius with money and so is robert kiyosaki. i learned a lot from his board game cashflow and his books and housing can make a man very rich and wealthy. i think foreclosures would be a good deal if you can find a better one. some are just nasty. good luck either way and if you do buy a house you gotta paint it sublime green again lol