Experts say if you're thinking about robbing your 401(k) to buy a home, don't. They say you should be an adult and save up for a decent down payment.
Michael Smith of Houston's STA Wealth Management says if you want to do this you're probably not ready to buy a home.
"You have to pay that with after tax dollars so, not a good idea, you're basically robbing your future."
Smith says if you want to retire comfortably you need to really work on retirement savings.
"There's better ways to save up for a home without taking money out of what is going to be your retirement; there's penalties."
A recent survey found Americans think the ideal age to buy a house is 28, but that may be too soon for a lot of us.
Smith says you're better off saving for a down payment.
"You should try to find a way to save, put money aside, get to about a 10% to 20% down payment; and you're gonna have to do that by being diligent, having a good budget and just putting money away. But taking from your 401(k) -- not a good idea."
Smith says stealing from your future will do more harm than good, no matter how much you want to buy a house.