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Comment by the_gipsy | Hacker News Reader

Companies are essentially subsidizing $1M (or more now?) mortgages if you are willing to go into their SV offices. You don't have to retire there! Just sell the house and move on.

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You don’t have to retire there, but it turns out that the Bay Area has one of the most pleasant climates in the entire world for humans and it is coupled with some of the most stunningly beautiful and varied terrain in the world.

It’s hard to leave and call anything else retirement if you’re just considering climate, weather, and nature. My family did end up leaving the area but it was hard. I am still working. Wouldn’t surprise me if I return some day.

Entire central coast plus LA offers much of the same.

Doesn’t really solve the cost of living problem being in coastal CA :)

It's still less of an issue than Bay Area, and the other parts are more fun.

Where did you move to, if you don't mind my asking? It's hard to leave here for sure :'(

The Carolinas, near the Blue Ridge Mountains where it is also pretty. Not quite the Sierras but it’ll do

As somebody who would prefer to return to California—- The Blue Ridge line between Roanoke, VA and Greenville, SC is probably where I’ll end up myself. But sadly the mountains are not nearly the same, I’ll miss that elevation.

It's not easy but you can find similar (even arguably better) climate in Europe (Cyprus, Canary Islands, Malta) at a much cheaper COL, with lower crime rate, healthier food - and even less taxes with the right choices.

South East Asia and South America have opportunities too albeit .

I think the weather in SF is decent but not great (way too cold) - but it's all the other cons (homeless, taxes, drugs) that makes me run away from SF.

I hadn’t heard of this, what are some example companies I can look at?

Maybe they mean they pay more in the bay area because of the high housing costs.

That's what I understood too, but it seems more like enough to rent, not buy.

Yeah I recently looked at rent costs down in the South Bay (thinking “tiny shitty apartment to avoid 12-15 hours of mandatory commuting 3 days a week”) and it’s insane - like “more than my mortgage payments” insane.

they just mean that this is what the geo-adjusted salary is doing

I think what he means is: Some SF companies pay very large compensation packages so that their engineers can afford to purchase homes.

I don't think this is true. There are only a handful of companies that pay $500k+ TC for senior+ engineers. The vast majority of companies top out at $250k, be it F500 or startups (not including their worthless "equity").

You can't afford a home, on your own, at $250k in the Bay Area. Realistically you need $500k+.

250 is no where near enough to buy in SF. Maybe if you pinch pennies and save for 10 years. Or if you can put up a lot of equity up front.

> > You can't afford a home, on your own, at $250k in the Bay Area.

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