[godot]

Do you think this is repeatable with the housing market nowadays? My gut instinct is it's not, but love to hear your thoughts.

The key point in your post/experience seems to be the fact that 8 years ago you moved to a rent-controlled apartment in SF.

8 years ago (2011) was the lowest point of the housing market after the crash. If you, for example, bought a house in SF in 2011 instead of getting into that apartment (say if you saved up for several years for a down payment), that house would likely be worth 2x to 3x now and right now you may be able to sell it or rent it out and semi-retire in a different city.

The point is, 2010-2012 was a magical period if you made a move at the time (get into a rent-controlled apartment, bought a place, etc.). I have a feeling that the housing market isn't going to crash again the same way it did back then, so I'm not sure what you advocate is possible anymore.

As for the OP, personally if I were starting my tech career now, I would probably not move to SF. Plenty of other tech hubs are spinning up in the past few years (Austin, Boulder, etc.) where housing is more affordable and you still get to stay "in the scene". Admittedly I live in the bay area right now (I've been living here since high school, so kind of a native here), but am indeed planning to move away at some point.