Dear Money Doctor^®, my Financial Advice is:

Buy cheapest house on the best street

My story behind the advice is:

Location, location, location.  After saving for a few years, my wife and I started a search for our first house.  We finally settled on a small house with a large yard on one of the nicest old streets in town.  35 years later, after a large addition to the house to accommodate our three children, we are still in our starter house.