Cash in the bank means you get to choose your timing, so don't force a purchase you'd regret twice. Buy if you find the right property, can genuinely see yourself in it for five to ten years, and the payment works. If this is really a short-term stopgap, don't rush. Renting for a year or two while you hunt for the right home (even a short-term furnished rental) is a perfectly reasonable bridge, and a large down payment waiting in reserve gives you real flexibility. We have watched rushing go wrong. Someone sells a regretted home for a solid profit, then loses out in multiple offers trying to jump straight back in. A big down payment helps you compete, but it won't protect you from overpaying or from buying the wrong house a second time. Buy when it's the right time in your life rather than trying to time the market. Neither of us claims to call the perfect entry point, and nobody can promise where prices go. An extended flat stretch is possible, and a major correction is nothing we would count on. Take the pressure off, treat your cash as the cushion it is, and let the right home set the schedule.