With an unhearalded local economy combined with limited land for development, never has real estate been worth more but never has it cost more to afford a home in the San Francisco Bay Area. The sacrifice is evidenced by the cost of a typical 20% downpayment in the bay area which is equivalent to an outright home purchase elsewhere. The ultimate consolation is a market that can richly reward the investor of home as very few locations have real estate appreciation like the San Francisco Bay Area.