yeah, I really think rent has gone up a lot in the last 5-7 years. 4S is around 4k/month and as mentioned, the bay area is much worst…I used to pay around 1k/month way way back there on the Peninsula for 1bdrm. It seems as much as people make, if you live in a “newer/fancier” place, you can’t save as much now. And better hope your company goes IPO or you end up with nothing in your mid/late 30s when you will start hitting age discrimination.
This is why at the end of the day, I really think if you have family/kids/generally more stability, buying a home to live in to lock in your housing cost (as well as take advantage of all the tax deductions), is the best way to diversify your assets.
Not for everyone (esp maybe not for singles as this forum shows they view the world in a different way), but for other folks in that lifestyle (wife/kids/etc), it’s one massive thing less on your mind. For anyone who bought here 5-7 years ago in the more desirable areas, I’m pretty sure most can rent it out for more than their mortgage.
