Try
www.mlslistings.com
There are several places in the Santa Cruz Mountains for under 700K. I grew up in the SC Mountins, far from school and stores, and loved it.
Be creative. I bought my first place, a Tenancy-in-Common, (TIC)is SF with a friend when I was 30, in 1990 for 140K. Two years later, I bought him out. In '99, I sold it for 420K, bought a lot in Montara, built my house, and now it's worth way, way, more than I could ever afford. I beleive such a scenario can still be done.
Remember, if you leave the Bay Area, you will never be able to move back.