You should absolutely max your Roth first every year, as you can use the account for a first home purchase and qualified education expenses in addition to retirement. (We'll have a lot of this sort of stuff on Blueleaf as we get closer to launch. If there are specific questions, we can write answers/articles for them.)
You can pull money out of a Roth investment (IRA or 401(k)) at any time without penalty because the tax is not deferred. You pay normal income tax on all the contributions you make in the year you earn the money.
