If you need direct train access to NYC, then Summit will be a good choice. If you don't need the train then Livingston will be good. You will get a good choices of homes in the upper price range (over $1 million) in Summit. The landscape is different between the two towns. It will come down to your preference and price range. For a list of available properties in these two towns please visit my website at http://www.NewJerseyUniqueHomes.com

Dear Home Buyer,
Livingston and Summit are two very different communities although both are affluent areas. Livingston has a much larger geographic area, the town areas are more spread out and the commute to the city is by bus, or you would have to drive some distance to a train where you would be able to park. The problem with taking a bus is that you are often at the mercy of traffic delays --particularly on the ride home. Taxes are higher in Livingston than in Summit (Essex county tends to have higher taxes than Union County), however you will get more house for your money in Livingston. Summit has a lovely downtown and midtown direct trains as well as a bus to NYC. Both have good school systems. Many people in Summit like the fact that they can walk to the town.

As far as appreciation goes, it depends on the price point of the home you are purchasing. Overall Summit has more high end homes. Summit has had a better appreciation than Livingston.

I hope this is helpful and that you find the home that is right for your family.
Karen Horbatt
Prudential New Jersey Properties
908-273-0400 x227

Dear Home Buyer,
If you ask 100 different people, you will get 100 different answers. You got some great responses already, but I wanted to add to it. There are so many fabulous resources online for you to check. I'm going to post some internet sites that have a wealth of information. But of course, I always suggest that you just drive areas to really get a feel for them.

CNN Money magazine has a tool to compare cities. I did a comparison for you, but I'm not sure if the website will translate through this post so at the worst case, google "Money Magazine Best Places to Live"
http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/bestplaces/compare_tool_2008.…

School info
http://www.greatschools.net/
http://education.state.nj.us/rc/
http://njmonthly.com/articles/towns_and_schools/highschoolra…

Town info
http://www.city-data.com/
http://njmonthly.com/articles/best-of-Jersey/best-places-to-…

You can also find info on our website http://(www.lisatempesta.com), but I like to make sure that you have a few reference points.

Livingston and Summit are both fantastic towns. I think you will love the new town center in Livingston, and the downtown area of Summit (plenty of shopping) or if that is not enough for you, you also have a convenient drive to the Short Hills Mall. Schools for both towns are top rated. Livingston is Essex County and Summit is Union County -- Livingston (and Essex) taxes tend to be slightly higher. Biggest difference is the train to NYC (if that is important to you). Train from Summit is a direct train (no transfers). As was already stated, Livingston does not have a train line, but other transportation is available to NYC.

If you need any further assistance, please feel free to contact me. I would love to help you with your search. Good luck!
Sincerely,
Lisa Tempesta, Broker-Salesperson
Realtor® -Associate
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage / 2200 Rt. 10 West, Parsippany, NJ 07054
(973) 267-3030 x 129 / (973) 267-4161 fax / (973) 668-6322 cell / skype id lisa.tempesta / text 9736686322
connect with me on linkedin.com / plaxo.com / facebook.com
http://www.lisatempesta.com

Both towns have excellent schools. You can check out schools here: http://www.greatschools.net. Summit has a train station that runs often into NY...lots of parking...Livingston doesn't have a train station,but does have a bus going thru town and its not far from Summit. If driving into NY, both are pretty convenient. The tax rate in Livingston is higher...average home sale price in Livingston is $650K...in Summit $800K. Resale reflects about the same days on the market for both towns. They are different ...appreciation would be more specific to exact location, home and price. I would be happy to speak with you in detail about your home search. Feel free to give me a call on 973-214-5872 . Sue

Both great towns with plenty of amenities for the whole family. Livingston offers express bus service to NYC while Summit has a train station with Mid-town service. Livingston is currently undergoing a Tax Revaluation (many towns in Essex County are currently undergoing or have recently gone through this process) so new tax rate and tax amounts will be in place by the end of the Summer. Summit taxes are similar to that of Livingston. Towns with train lines fair well with appreciation over the years due to the desirable commute, though Livingston also seems to fair well due to its close proximity to the city and highly rated school system....though with the current recession home values have trended down in area towns. In the September 2008 issue of New Jersey Monthly there was an article rating the TOP 75 Public High Schools in the state. Livingston was ranked number 20 and Summit was ranked number 22....so it seems to be a close race between the two school systems. Please feel free to contact me directly with any other questions. Kind regards,
Kelly Hartnett
Sales Associate, Prudential NJ Properties, 50 E Mt Pleasant Ave, Livingston, NJ 07039 office: 973-992-3763 ext 157 Cell: 973-224-2430, http://www.HartnettHomeTeam.com

Property taxes are higher in Livingston; they both have easy commute to NYC, but I would think Summit has the best direct train service and regularly schedule bus to NYC.
Livingston homes have maintained their market value, better than Summit.
Overall is a toss-up.

Nilda Maccarelli
Weichert Realtors
908-403-8383