manch & wuqijun,
Considering getting a foothold in Austin?
Tomato is considering but as usual NATO (no action talk only).
Recall Austin RE barely barge during the financial crisis
History might rhyme i.e. we may have RE slowdown in SFBA but RE in Austin continues to boom. Cost of operating in SFBA are too high for employers and cost of housing are too high for employees, so there is a clear but slow migration to other places. Austin is one of those places. Everything takes time. Prices accelerate in SFBA only from 1990s, before that prices are appreciating at a good rate.