Those longtime bay area dwelling boomers (especially those who are still with the same partner for 40+ years and bought their original homes in the ’70’s) have MUCH DEEPER pockets than the rest of us.
In other words, bay-area boomer couples who haven’t suffered major health or business setbacks or divorce(s) and who have BOTH been gainfully employed all of their lives (whether they have begun collecting their pensions or not) are typically worth a whole lot more than similarly-situated SD County couples. This is just by virtue of the higher pay scale there (leading to higher pensions) and MUCH higher property values.
I don’t care if they lived all their lives in Hayward, Livermore, Concord or even Vallejo! They’re still financially better off today than 90% of their “brethren” in the rest of the country.
There are TONS of these boomer couples in the bay area (I know a few) and they’re buying vacation, pre-retirement and retirement homes (for all cash) wherever their hearts’ desire.
In the mid-1970’s, I had a chance to relocate (with a prospective roommate) to San Mateo and a good job waiting for me in Half Moon Bay and instead chose to relocate to SD … and the rest is history. That’s one BIG mistake I made as a young person that I deeply regret now. But who knew at that time what would become of the (then “sleepy”) SF peninsula?
I also declined an offer of admission to Cal at the age of 18 …. another bad mistake …. HUGE.
I had no advice, direction or support from parents or other relatives at that time and it is now wa-a-a-ay too late to unring that bell :=0
