Where is the best place to park your excess money?

The fact that you want your money to work extra hard for you, but on the other hand, you don't have sufficient money to buy property, what shall be the best investment?

If you want returns better than bank accounts or CD's you should open an account with Fidelity, E*trade, Schwab, or the like...get some of your money into an internaional mutual fund or ETF... returns look to be above the 17% area for a few years.
If you put it in mutual funds you may not be able to use it for a while ...60 days... but ETF's you can sell and withdraw at any time.
Open the account...your lump sum will be in a " core" account earning interest and invest 70 or 80%...leaving some cash to withdraw if you need it. I think after a couple of months you will see that it's better to try to let that money work for you and withdraw only " profit" after about six months.
A couple of funds: FEMKX, FSEAX
..and ETF's: EEB, EEM, ILF

With the market going the way of the birds right now, it would be safer to stuff that money into bonds.