How much should I actually put down on a house?

There's no single right number — put down enough to get a payment you can comfortably afford, keep a cash cushion intact, and avoid stretching. Conventional loans allow as little as 3% down, FHA 3.5%, and VA and USDA loans 0%, while 20% lets you skip private mortgage insurance entirely. A larger down payment lowers your monthly payment and total interest, but draining your emergency fund or investments to hit 20% is usually a mistake. A common middle path is 5–10% down with the PMI as a temporary cost you'll drop later once you reach 20% equity. Decide by running the full monthly payment — principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and any HOA — against your budget. Try wealthserene.com/tools/home-affordability to see how different down payments change what you can responsibly buy.