When I said "best" programmer, I meant it more holistically. That's algorithm skills, architecture skills, communication, ability to pick up new things, cultur

When I said "best" programmer, I meant it more holistically. That's algorithm skills, architecture skills, communication, ability to pick up new things, culture fit, etc etc. Put that all into an imaginary 1-100 rating: you can get a 60-70 programmer in the bay area, or an 80-90 programmer remote. How many points does being local make up for? That's a question specific to your company, but if it's less than that difference in overall developer quality, remote may be a good call.