Katie Sarna left San Francisco due to high rent and bought a house in Boulder Creek, California. She and her husband faced challenges in the competitive housing market and mortgage approval process. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Katie Sarna , the 38-year-old cofounder and CEO of Santa Cruz Fungi based in Boulder Creek, California.
It's been edited for length and clarity. I'm the cofounder and CEO of Santa Cruz Fungi . I live in Boulder Creek, California, and my business is headquartered in Santa Cruz.
For the past 17 years, I've worked on and off as a freelance creative for luxury beauty, skincare, and fashion brands. I've also been an art director and a content marketing manager. I lived in San Francisco for about three years.
In May 2016, I bought a home for my husband, Paul Lazazzera, and me in Boulder Creek. We married the following year, and Paul started our business in 2021. The housing market in the San Francisco area was brutal When I lived in the SF area, I was completely sticker-shocked by my $1,450 a month bedroom (in a two-bedroom apartment), which could barely fit a bed and dresser.
I started dating Paul, who lived in Santa Cruz , about an hour and a half away. When my roommate moved out, I couldn't afford the $3,000 rent by myself, so I put the spare room on Airbnb . One afternoon, my landlord called and told me she knew what I had been doing.
I had to cancel all my bookings in front of her or face eviction and swift legal action. I calle.