fgrep

So you owned a previous home, presumably before the real estate has rocketed, and your wife is also in the tech industry... If I want to move now and I do not own a home neither have millions to fork, and my wife is not in the tech industry... also its not clear how bad your commute time is. Not sure where outside SF you can live and still be able to commute everyday without being 4 hours on roads a day... there is no public transportation in the us

The major disadvantage of the UK is: Shoebox "houses". Or what we call them houses. So its raining a lot outside, but we also do not feel comfortable inside, at home, because it is ridiculously small and normally very old. bad weather and cage-homes, deeply depressing combination. Th main advantage of the US: Big homes (if you choose not to live in SF or NYC) and good weather.

would be interesting to know, people talk about SF only, but how salaries look in places like Phoenix or in states like Wyoming, Montana and Vermont ? are there any sw jobs there ?

people do not think about it rationally. The money you earn in SF is mostly not your money, its the landlord's money. You can work in London, live outside the M25, and have 35 minutes commute time, in a train, and pay reasonably normal rent/mortgage. I am not sure if you can live outside SF and work in SF and spend less than 4 hours commuting eveyday. I've just received two offers one for permie £100k and £700/day for a contract, I'm pretty certain I would be left with more money here that I would in SF even if im on $180k. Being in SF with family/kids is a game over I guess.