If you think that you need 20% down to buy a home, you are behind the times. Since the housing market has gotten stronger and credit restrictions have been relaxed, you actually have many other good choices. Of course, government sponsored programs are available, including FHA (3.5% down), VA (0% down), and USDA (0% down). Also, conventional mortgages are once again available for as little as 5% down. For more information click here to read an article from Yahoo Finance on the subject.