> I wasn't any more rational about my personal finances back then (despite having 2 kids) than anyone paying to live in SFBA is now. > I think though that a lo

> I wasn't any more rational about my personal finances back then (despite having 2 kids) than anyone paying to live in SFBA is now. > I think though that a lot people out there should leave; it's not a good deal. That implies that it's never rational to buy in the Bay Area, which is too extreme of a position. I agonized about the decision to become a homeowner out here for something like 5 years. Even now I'm terrified about it. But literally everyone I've talked to agrees that my decision, given my personal circumstances, was a good one. To be clear, it's not the right decision for many, perhaps most people out here, and lots of people here should consider opportunities in other areas! But settling down in the Bay Area can make sense, depending on roots, quality of life, employment situation, personal financial situation, risk tolerance, family obligations, etc. etc. It just depends. This is perhaps getting into the weeds a bit, but most real estate experts don't think that the SF housing market is a bubble. It's probably somewhat overvalued [1] [2], but it's not for example Vancouver, where the wage/housing price imbalance is far worse [3]. [1]: https://www.ubs.com/global/en/wealth-management/chief-investment-office/key-topics/2017/global-real-estate-bubble-index-2017.html https://www.ubs.com/global/en/wealth-management/chief-invest... [2]: https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2018/02/15/san-francisco-not-at-risk-for-a-housing-bubble.html https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2018/02/15/san... [3]: http://time.com/money/5017121/least-affordable-expensive-cities-north-america/ http://time.com/money/5017121/least-affordable-expensive-cit...