<prompt> Human: Hi guys, my fiance and I currently live in a small 500 sq ft, rent controlled, apartment in Oakland, but the lack of space and the fact that we are now surrounded by construction 3 high rise apartmentcondo buildings is driving her crazy. She has been talking about moving, but 2 bedroom apartments in decent neighborhoods run at least 2500, so we are thinking about purchasing a house in the East Bay Oakland, Richmond, San Leandro.The homes we are looking at are listing around 500-600k with the expectation of selling around 50-100k above asking price. Just wondering what rpersonalfinance thinks of buying a house in the Bay Area with the current financial climate.Thanks a ton!  <response>: rpersonalfinance thinks of buying a house in the Bay Area with the current financial climate.Dont try to time the market. Buy when youre ready to settle down, you can afford it, and when you actually want to own a house. 