Comment by nostrademons

The really effective deal in the Bay Area is location arbitrage. Move there in your 20s, take a job at either a big company or a fast-grower that'll IPO within 4-5 years. Have no life. Bank a million bucks. Then move someplace with a lower cost of living to raise a family. You'll be able to buy a house free-and-clear, and you often get a salary boost coming out of a brand-name Silicon Valley company.