I’d have a tough time getting off the treadmill with 2 kids (I assume still young kids?). There was another post about taking time off due to burnout earlier as well which you might want to review to get some ideas.

Anyhow, having done that myself and simply leaving my job some years back, there are a ton more risks if someone else is dependent on your income. 500k doesn’t go that far over the long term. Especially if you plan to help with college.

I don’t think SD is “all that” of a place (I probably like the bay area better for being closer to Tahoe), but bay area housing really is much more insane if you’re just trying to buy a SFH in a nice (top API area). Same goes for LA.

In regards to finding a place in SD, I’m starting to wonder if the folks who have lived here for a long time are the only ones who are actually more ok with living in the cities posted in the list above. Having lived in one of those areas, I can honestly agree that I’d rather have my kid playing video games than riding their bike around those towns.

My parents live in a “now” pretty crappy part of northern cal, but from living there still, they don’t seem to mind or notice it even though the area is pretty ghetto now in terms of demographics and schools. What’s interesting is ALL of the kids have moved out and to other areas so this makes me think that folks who live in these areas now see one thing while new home buyers who aren’t “forced” to live there see another.