Having lived in MTV before and many other areas in the BA, people who own properties really made out well.

I looked up my old place I stayed in from my younger days and it’s over a mil for < 2k sqft. I think it's really true that once you leave the BA, you probably will never go back because the housing alone is probably going to be more expensive than where you moved to and it seems like a waste (unless you are a multi-millionaire), you'd make it work wherever you're now and are "happy". There are also very few reasons to live in the bay area unless you can get ultra rich in tech. For most people, you can be a lawyer or doctor anywhere else and do much better. I know both tech and doctors leaving and are happier and "making it work" in income tax free states. Oh well, like a lot of guys who left, had my chance, didn't strike it big, and moved on. I think Los Altos is a much nicer area than Mountain View as well as a lot of places west of the that freeway that goes N/S west of the 101. Forget which, maybe 280.