I've been trying to buy my first house since January, and I recently gave up for the time being and signed a one year lease for an apartment with my girlfriend(the market is terrible in my area and I'm motivated to get out of my current situation). I have $30k in liquid assets, the only debt I have is $1800 left on an auto lease, I was going to use the cash for down payment, closing costs, furnishing the place.. etc.. now what? I have a federal job where I contribute adequately to the TSP, is this the time to begin personally investing? I'm very interested in pursuing real estate and have been for a couple years(buy/build houses & rent them). The place I am moving into is a stand alone one bedroom apartment that the landlord built himself on his own land out behind his house that he also built himself, I hope over the next year to pick his brain and learn things about building because I know nothing... what should I do now?
@800who wrote:I've been trying to buy my first house since January, and I recently gave up for the time being and signed a one year lease for an apartment with my girlfriend(the market is terrible in my area and I'm motivated to get out of my current situation). I have $30k in liquid assets, the only debt I have is $1800 left on an auto lease, I was going to use the cash for down payment, closing costs, furnishing the place.. etc.. now what? I have a federal job where I contribute adequately to the TSP, is this the time to begin personally investing? I'm very interested in pursuing real estate and have been for a couple years(buy/build houses & rent them). The place I am moving into is a stand alone one bedroom apartment that the landlord built himself on his own land out behind his house that he also built himself, I hope over the next year to pick his brain and learn things about building because I know nothing... what should I do now?
I don't know. The fact that you're asking a question like that to a bunch of anonymous strangers, who may or may not be qualified to advise you on something like that, suggests to me that your money should be in a savings account.
@SouthJamaica not really looking for someone to tell me what to do... I like to brain storm and have collaborative thinking to have the possibility to expose my self to thoughts or ideas I haven't yet been exposed to, to further my own thoughts and ideas and to start a potentially interesting and informative discussion. Thanks! 
@Anonymous I am trying to avoid that because I am heavily motivated, I am not one at all to make rash decisions, most if not all of my decisions despite what the context is have some sort of research put before being made because that's just who I am lol, but I don't want to have life pass by and have only accrued cash in a savings account for 40 years, I'm talking like retire at 55, travel, ride the boat, whatever I feel like doing with whatever money it takes lol for lack of better example. I want to generally be more productive.
@800who wrote:@SouthJamaica not really looking for someone to tell me what to do... I like to brain storm and have collaborative thinking to have the possibility to expose my self to thoughts or ideas I haven't yet been exposed to, to further my own thoughts and ideas and to start a potentially interesting and informative discussion. Thanks!
OK I can respect that. So let me brainstorm with you.
IMHO real estate is very risky and very illiquid, so that it should never be done with your own money, unless you have a lot of extra money you can afford to (a) lose or (b) tie up. It should be done through a separate business entity, and it should be done on money borrowed by the entity through mortgages. I just don't think you have enough money to play that game yet.