Should I try to use 401k, 403b money to buy a 2nd House?

[AlphaDog]

Microman wrote:
We have some cash, but not enough even for 20 percent down.

We see all that money that is in 401k, Ira's, and 403b's.. and think if there was someway to use that money, that we would use it to put big down payment on a place here in Southern California.

We are up there in age....
Thanks..

At first this post sounded pretty strange to me, and then I had another thought. Is the point of stretching now to buy a second house the fact that you won't want to live in your current home when you retire but don't feel this is a good time to sell you're in? My first read made it sound like you just wanted to cash out the investments and buy another house because you could get one cheap. Yes? No?

If yes, I do think that's a bad idea. If no, then... Maybe. As long as you don't think of buying a second house as a way to "reinvest" what you've now got in retirement accounts.