Repositioning equity in SoCal a good idea?

[Peter Morgan]

Hello,

I am planning to sell my primary residence

as I need to relocate to CA due to my job in San Francisco , there is approximately 500k buil-in equity. Appreciation is not very aggressive here as it's in CA so selling is making more sense besides renting for cashflow is also not making sense.

I will be moving with family so I need a good place to live in a great school area for my kids.

I hear a lot these days that renting is much cheaper than owning a home especially in CA.

Am I better off investing my tax free dollars of the proceeds in other investments with much better returns while renting in CA or is it a good idea to invest in areas like Dublin/Pleasanton, Walnut Creek,San Jose etc hoping for a higher appreciation in the future. Appreciate your inputs.

Thanks