You'll be limiting yourself to a single room within the house, probably a certain location within that room. Plus, as jawtheshark mentioned, it'll be an eyesore for any new owners unless you completely cover it up. To me, that kind of commitment isn't worth a small and some fan noise. If it's worth it to you, then go for it.

I wouldn't mind working in Alaska - lots of fresh seafood, cheap real estate, small town feel - if I can be sure my job is secure. Just like working in IT in some small midwest town, there aren't many options for switching jobs if you need to switch. How many large companies are hiring if you're an Oracle DBA in Alaska?

That's the beauty of Silicon Valley. I can work at a company for a few years and move to another, similarly-sized company at a higher position without much hesitation or worry. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of small companies looking at hiring IT folks. That kind of job security is what makes California much more appealing than a smaller city.