Maybe the most important piece of information you will be given if you're thinking of relocating to Silicon Valley is that wherever you're coming from you will have to compromise your standard of living in some form or another. Whether it's your house size, the number of bedrooms, the size of the lot, the standard of the schools, the traffic, your commuting time - you will compromise on something to live here. The second most important piece of information you should be given is that this is due to supply and demand - many, many people want to live in Silicon Valley because it is a wonderful place to live.

It's no secret that real estate in Silicon Valley is some of the most expensive in the country so be prepared to negotiate your salary accordingly and to downsize your living space when you move here. Out of the 24 top 100 Cities in the USA with the highest median house value, 12 of them are in the Bay Area. Check out AreaMagic.com for this and other housing data from numerous sources including information on most U.S. cities, towns and villages.

So, know your market. There is no point in relocating here only to find you can only afford a home half the size of the house you've just moved from and with a smaller lot size. Knowledge is power and I can't stress enough the importance of checking out house prices, rentals, condominiums in different localities before you decided to make the move. Search the MLS for properties in this area. Put in the criteria of the home you are looking for and see what comes up. Check out the map of the individual property to see where it's located, giving yourself an idea of where the more expensive properties are. The general pattern is the same everywhere - the higher the school's test scores, the more expensive the property, so if you're not interested in schools, you have a better chance of getting a larger property for less money.

Buying a house, apartment or condo can bring with it its share of headaches. Blind bidding is still the norm after 10 years of price explosions here in the valley. So if you find a home you like, you offer what you can afford and, depending on the property, may find 6 to 12 other people bidding on it. Usually the highest bid wins and that may not be yours. You just have to keep trying. Find a good realtor and let them help you. California Concierges works with a great team of experts in realty for all the different towns in Silicon Valley so the headache of searching for the right realtor is avoided. Once you have a realtor working for you to find and buy the right property, the search for a new home instantly becomes easier.

And if you're not sure you want to buy straight away, but would rather rent a property when you get here, there is always plenty of inventory to choose from.  Renting will give you the time to look around and make sure you're comfortable in your new location before you commit to a purchase.

During your orientation tour with California Concierges, you will be give plenty of advice about areas to focus on, depending on your needs, e.g. near good schools, good commuting distance, so you won't have to think too hard about where to look for your home.

And don't forget the good old property tax, payable in two installments, due by April 10 and December 10 and assessed as 1.25% of the purchase price of your home. So if you buy a house for $1 million, you will probably be paying $12,500 a year as long as you live there.

The good news is that the crime rates are low, there are many great schools and lots of sunshine!