My problem is I moved to Denver 13 years ago. It's not expensive at all for me. Moving to Cali, which I would love to do, seems almost impossible. That is, unless I don't mind driving 2+ hours to work. Yuck.

You gotta just get into a groove: zen out on a couple of podcast/Audibe, or put on the Giants game and relax. You know it's an even year, right?

WAY better than being a slave to your mortgage.

The pilots who bought closer in to SFO over the past twenty years have seen a lot more house appreciation than those who bought in the far flung suburbs...

I don't doubt that, but we're talking about buying NOW. If I could have picked up a place in the bay in 1996, I'd be smiling big time, but since then you've seen home price increases that I cannot imagine being replicated again.

Besides, trying to swallow the mortgage on a $1.5M house on an a newhire salary (I believe that was the OP's situation) is, in a word, impossible. 100 miles away that same house in a good neighborhood could be bought at a third the price.

Dig these charts for,

The Bay Area:

http://www.realdatasf.com/wp-content...-included2.jpg

SF itself:

https://thefrontsteps.files.wordpres...7/image002.jpg

So 1+30 out of SFO isn't unreasonable then? Kind've spoiled right now with 8 acres and plenty of woods to dirtbike and atv on.

Surprised some suggest as far away as Tahoe.

I might start looking a bit more, but still have this idea that I'll hate myself after taxes and the like...

Right now, I'd say it's a stretch to say 1.5 hours is reasonable for a middle-upper income couple w/a kid. Given the mentality of the typical airline pilot, I'd say no chance in Hades to find reasonable. It's awful hard to say the drive is 1.5 hours without traffic cause Bay Area traffic is early and often. Sorry mate but rule number one about California; if you are going to dwell on the taxes, don't bother trying it.

You would have to sell your home in Denver since it's peaking and rent until the market in the bay tanks. Taxes are not that bad since property tax is so low. You could get a home in Benicia in the 500k range and be 15 mins to the BART. There are deals they just go quick.

If you were commuting to Oak 1.5 would be possible from Sac. Between 10-2 that would be possible at Sfo.

2 hours from Sac to SFO no traffic unless your willing to do 95mph down highway 80 , and we don't have mainline flying out of Oakland.

Foothills east of Stockton will give you most bang for your buck. Calaveras County has decent schools and land is reasonably cheap.

I'd also look in the Lodi area. Nice town about 15 mins North of Stockton .. that'd be right at 1+45 to SFO, no traffic.

Exactly. Not to mention that I was walking around in a t shirt and shorts today. One down side....you will likely have to mow your grass in January and February.