double house payments or save the money for a land payment?

[joshuabardwell]

I was looking into buying unimproved land several years ago. Part of the challenge was that banks wouldn't do a traditional mortgage, because they wouldn't have a house to hold as collateral in the event of a default. Everyone I talked to would only finance up to 50%, which required me to come up with the other 50% up front. I couldn't do it.