DD moving to bay area

[Linux Top Gun]

Please excuse the obfuscated email address, I didn't want this potential
move to be advertised too publicly just yet.

There are heaps of web sites with information about moving to the
bay area or San Francisco although not so many focus on the possibilities
for a developer.  These just weren't helpful
for me so I'm writing here to see if anybody can help.  Here are some
questions I've got:

Sky-high rents: agreed, SF and bay area rents are higher than LA or
other parts of CA.  Sky-high rent doesn't put me off as long as there
is a good prospect of a sky-high salary.

Who is really paying $4000/month for a 2-bed apartment in central SF?
Are developers really paid enough to pay those rents?  Are these apartments
only suitable for power couples where both partners are
earning above-average incomes or people like doctors who have
weekend/overtime pay?

I've lived in cheap cities and expensive cities and I've always found
a developer salary (net of tax) that was at least three times the rent.
Does this hold true in SF today?

If a short commute (using any means of transport, walking, car, bike, bus
or train) is a primary concern for somebody, which locations are
feasible?  Who thinks it is better to live and work downtown?  Are
there other hotspots in the valley (or even further afield)
where there are a range of job opportunities, shops, restaurants, other
services and stuff all within 10-15 minutes of home?
Or is this really impossible except for those people who already
bought/rented a home in a desirable area when prices were lower?

Is there a strong demand for consultant/freelance workers or companies
insist on hiring developers as employees?

Are there any recruitment agencies or contracting agencies that are
known to be reliable or particularly good in understanding the
strengths of free-software developers and finding suitable work for them?

I have a preference for a role that allows me to engage with the
free software community, collaborating on bug fixes and so on
rather than just knowing how to download and use stuff.
Can anybody comment on any companies or management contacts
within companies that have positive views about this way of working or jobs
with
a specific focus on free software?
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