[fortes]

$5k / month definitely does not get you a nice 4 bedroom in Palo Alto. Maybe in East Palo Alto, but that is a very different place in terms of quality of life, safety, and schools.

Edit: I decided to check, and there is one place in Palo Alto right now with 4 bedrooms at that price https://sfbay.craigslist.org/search/pen/apa?nh=83&max_price=...

From personal experience, as someone who was priced out of Palo Alto this year, it is rare to see a place at that price point in Palo Alto proper, and they tend to be quite run down. The one place available right now is actually in a good location and doesn't look too bad inside, so that's not a bad deal for the location.

On the other hand, you can get a great place in Seattle with views for over $1000 cheaper: https://seattle.craigslist.org/see/apa/5723972635.html

[dekhn]

I see plenty of units for rent in Palo Alto in this price range. Not East Palo Alto, Palo Alto. Also, don't just check Craigslist- that only includes a very limited number of rentals in that price range; other rental searches show a lot more examples.

[EDIT: I had incorrectly filtered my search. The price break is at $6K for a 4 bedroom (at least 4 units) not $5K. However, that is still well under half of the quoted value of $150K for a house purchase).

[Steeeve]

I have looked for a year and a half at 4 bedrooms in Palo Alto for under $5k / month - the caveat being that I have pets.

I have yet to see anything pop up other than where I currently live. It was available for all of three hours.

The upside is that if I were to leave the area, I would be able to provide my landlord with acceptable tenants quickly.