Mortgage Dilemma: Bigger Deposit or Keep Cash for Business?

"Option two: keep more cash handy for my business, since income can be a bit unpredictable sometimes, you know?"

Totally get where you're coming from—been there myself. When I was house hunting, I faced the exact same dilemma. Ended up keeping a bit more cash on hand because, honestly, having that cushion for my business helped me sleep better at night. Sure, the lower monthly payments would've been nice, but knowing I had funds ready for those inevitable slow months was priceless.

Plus, life has a funny way of throwing curveballs when you least expect it (hello, surprise plumbing disaster two months after moving in...). Having extra cash handy saved my sanity more than once. Either way, congrats on getting to this point—it's a big step and you're clearly thinking it through carefully. You've got this!

"Ended up keeping a bit more cash on hand because, honestly, having that cushion for my business helped me sleep better at night."

Yeah, same here—it's all about the peace of mind. Had a client who went all-in on their deposit to lower monthly payments, and then their main equipment broke down two weeks after closing...not fun. Curious though, are you factoring in any emergency fund separately for personal vs. business expenses? I've found keeping those separate helps avoid headaches later on.

"Curious though, are you factoring in any emergency fund separately for personal vs. business expenses?"

Yeah, learned that one the hard way myself...had a plumbing disaster at home right after dropping a chunk of cash into new business gear. Talk about timing, right? Now I keep two separate rainy-day funds—one for the biz and one for home. Helps me sleep better knowing a busted pipe won't tank my business, or vice versa. Live and learn, I guess!

Helps me sleep better knowing a busted pipe won't tank my business, or vice versa.

Keeping Separate Funds Was a Game-Changer for Me Too

Yeah, having separate emergency funds for personal and business was a huge turning point for me. A few years back, I went all-in on a bigger deposit thinking lower monthly payments would ease financial stress. Then my main client delayed payments for months, and suddenly I was scrambling. Now I hold back more cash for the business side—interest rates might sting a little, but peace of mind is priceless.