...but I'm familiar with the area. I spent a lot of time in Inverness, Stinson Beach, Pt Reyes Station and Bolinas when I lived in Silly Valley about 20 yrs ago. I wanted to retire there. I fell in love with coastal Marin, but it was way out of the reach of a software engineer's salary in those days.

I don't doubt prices have dropped severely in the last six months or so, but it may be hard selling your old house in this market, and it may be very hard getting a loan, or hanging on to your job. If you have a guaranteed income or cash in the bank, and if your mortgage isn't upside down, you can probably find some real bargains.

I live in Florida now, my house is almost payed off and I'm in pretty good shape financially but I can't afford to take advantage of these changing times unless I move away from my job and out into the tules. Still, you can really prosper in these hard times if you have lots of money. Of course, if you have lots of $, you can prosper in Hell, too.