Depends where, depends how much money. But your timing is a bit awkward.
The U.S. has come through an unprecedented residential real estate boom, and some areas of the country are beginning to experience a bust ... see many other discussions in this forum on the same topic.
There are some areas where I think you'd be fine buying a home, still getting a decent rate on a fixed rate loan, and investing the rest. I would definitely NOT put it all in the home. Nashville, TN is growing nicely, and homes are appreciating here, and some other SE areas will prosper ... but FL looks iffy, for example.
Generally, you may be better off renting, and watching for foreclosure bargains in many areas ... keep your powder dry for now.