@SFJoe: You actually need a car in SF - I just laugh when people do the following, and I see this all the time:
1) Move to SF
2) "Hey! I moved to SF, I don't need a car" - then sell their car
3) "Hey! I want to see my friends in SV. FUCK! I don't have a car!"

Most people here in SF actually have a car, or at least a scooter. If you really didn't need a car in SF, then explain why yo ualways keep seeing City Car Share and ZipCar all over the place? Muni is helpful to a point, but in the end you will need a car for more practical matters, or as Matto mentioned above, you don't put any value on your time.

QADude

sample032

matto

SFJoe

Traditionally, SF has always been higher than SV with regard to housing, usually going 1-2 with Marin. Now San Mateo has been getting more expansive, largely because of its location between SF and SV. You also have to consider that SF is landlocked while SJ is "LA North". Personally I would never live in SJ, as it's a shithole.

In terms of "bang for the buck", you actually get more in SF than SV. I looked around a lot in SV (Sunnyvale, Mt. View, Cupertino area), but didn't find anything worth spending 800K+ for, and for what you were buying it was a joke. I actually have a nice large backyard - try getting that in SV without paying over 900K.

Naturally, you'll find the similar crappy homes up here in SF, but if you look hard enough you can find something good that got overlooked, like I did.

QADude

It actually makes sense.

sample032

That's why I bought a house in SF. Ironically, it was cheaper there than pretty much anywhere in SV, with the obvious exceptions of East Palo Alto and Alviso...

Rents in SF have skyrocketed, especially around here in SOMA and downtown. Talk about nuts - people are paying top dollar for crappy places.

QADude

valleypro

mediawhoremeow