>>kenton+(OP)
> Jade and I needed a bigger house, but we really could not afford to buy (much less build) anything bigger in Palo Alto.
I’m really surprised about this, really shows how ludicrous the housing market is in the Bay Area. How high does your income need to be to afford a bigger house?!
>>syntax+xA
One issue with wanting a big house in Palo Alto is that most of the lots there are fairly small. There's not that many lots that can accomodate a larger home, so at best there's not many options, and sometimes there are none.