DEAR BRUCE: I am a 32-year-old who is interested in purchasing my first home; I am single and have a gross income of about $80,000 per year. After doing research, I've learned that if I am unable to put 20 percent down on a home, I will have to pay private mortgage insurance (PMI). I currently have about $10,000 in credit-card debt, which I have been aggressively paying off and will be done in February 2009. I also have about $65,000 in school loans that I haven't started paying yet, but will be about $700 to $800 a month and I have $6,000 in savings. My credit score in the 700s, and I have no negative marks on my credit report. My question is: Do you think it is best to save while I still live with my parents for a 20 percent down payment, which I could probably save in two years (for a home that is about $180,000 to $240,000), or should I just purchase now and pay the PMI. I would like to move sometime in 2009, and my parents would like me to move then as well because they want to sell their home, but not until I move. I also want to take advantage of the buyer's market with our economy and I'm not sure whether it will be the same in two years. I don't want to rent because I can't fathom paying half a mortgage and not owning anything or building any equity after five to 10 years. I also have no intentions on starting the home-buying process until I am free of credit-card debt (February 2009). -- T.W., via e-mail

DEAR T.W.: I've got to sympathize with a 30-year-old still living at home. However, the price is surely right. You're doing well at work, and I'm sure that will increase. I think you would be foolish to buy a home now. First of all, because the price you're mentioning is over your ability to repay. Private mortgage insurance is an expensive proposition to hire a co-signer, which is about what you're doing. Furthermore, you owe a ton of money, and so far have saved very little. I would sit tight, although that may not be fair to your parents -- and if it's not, I would rent a small place. By the way, renting is not a bad thing. More often than not, if you wish to rent a home and save the difference in what it would cost you to own it, over a period of years you would be worth a lot more as a renter/investor then as a homeowner. You do the math on that one, and it works out just about every time. Staying free of credit-card debt is a worthwhile move, but I would be socking money away and trying to pay down debt. As to the low market, I wouldn't work myself up into sweat -- that low market will be around for a while.

DEAR BRUCE: I went through a horrid divorce in New Jersey. My ex-husband, who is a successful physician, was stealing all of the marital assets over a period of years using his post-office box near his medical practice to conduct business. He was able to steal the joint pension plan, children's college funds, birthday money, etc. He made the home go into foreclosure status by crying the poverty LIE and poverty LINE, all the while stealing everything, including the proceeds of the sale of the home. What could be done to try and access all of the money stolen from my children and me? I am unable to afford an attorney. I would like to know where to find a pro-bono lawyer who could help us. None exists in New Jersey. -- J.R.H., via e-mail

DEAR R.H.: Here we are with yet another acrimonious divorce. If everything is how you've described it, this guy was a rat for many, many years. Proving it, however, is a different matter altogether. I don't know where you're going to find an attorney who will represent you without a fee. If there is no attorney that will accept the case on a contingency basis, what he or she is telling you is that they feel they have little chance of success. It may well be that now is the time to get on with your life, look forward to the rest of your life and put the past behind you.

DEAR BRUCE: My brother died a couple of years ago, and his siblings paid for his funeral. We learned that his estate is about to be sold, and we would like to be reimbursed. We were told all we have to do is file a claim at the courthouse against the estate. Do we need an attorney present during the time of the sell in order to recover our expense? -- R.G., via e-mail

DEAR R.G.: You mentioned that his estate is about to be sold. I think you mean that the estate is about to be settled and perhaps a piece of property is going to be sold. There must be either an executor appointed in your brother's will or an administrator appointed by the surrogate's court handling these matters. That is the person you should contact immediately and make a claim against the estate. Where your claim will be in terms of other monies owed is another matter. I suspect it will be somewhere toward the end of the line. You can certainly inquire of that person as to what assets exist. If there is any deviousness, you might wish to file a formal claim with an attorney. The need for an attorney is somewhat dependent on the cooperation you receive from that person responsible for the estate and, of course, if there are assets to attach.