OP, you're basically describing a dream scenario I'm sure many of us developers have. I'd be very willing to take a lower salary if it means a 10-minute commute

OP, you're basically describing a dream scenario I'm sure many of us developers have. I'd be very willing to take a lower salary if it means a 10-minute commute, and having a lot of time for side projects. I took up a job that's fairly middle-of-the-road in terms of salary -- plenty of lower, and plenty of higher, around the bay area. I took it at the time mostly because of working with some friends that I knew I liked working with, so I knew at least that part won't be bad. It's still a long commute though and I'm starting to question if it's worth it, especially if there's closer jobs that are potentially higher salary.