jameskpolk said:
Just toying with the idea of escaping Essex County taxes and putting that money into the mortgage.
ivan said:
Should note, as a balance to Essex County's taxes negative impact on home appreciation, there is a macro trend of folks, particularly younger folks, wanting to be closer to the City (if they can't be in the City itself), which favors long term home appreciation in SOMa.
I would choose Madison over Chatham or Florham Park based on the "vibe" I experienced when I worked in Florham Park for many years and shopped and dined in those three towns pretty frequently (and had many co-workers who lived in them.)
I lived in Chatham before buying a home here in Maplewood and spent a lot of time in Madison as my college roommate and his wife moved there after they got married. I actually liked both towns but Madison had a little more of a "homey" feel to it and while I really liked Chatham it just wasn't a friendly place.
Madison's housing stock is a little more diverse and there are some affordable capes in town. It has a pretty nice downtown and some really good restaurants. The commute may not seem like its much more but those extra 15-20 minutes both ways could be a drain after a while.
We live in Madison and love it. If you can live in a walk to town location, it is wonderful. We walk to dinner, stores and to the theater, my kids are in the schools and doing very well. I can't say enough good things. Super Stop and Shop is in town and Whole Foods, both life changing. For school drop off, driving is a breeze. I can get my high schooler, middle schooler and elementary there in minutes. It is not a politically charged town, in other words, not a lot of signs or sign stealing. But it is varied, probably 50/50 Democrat/Republican. Chatham is very nice, too, but a little more stepford wivey...we looked there too but after living in city, Maplewood and elsewhere, I just wasn't sure I would totally fit in in Chatham, I felt Madison was a little hipper.
But b/c the schools are so good in Chatham, it has attracted a lot of diverse groups of late, so it probably isn't as 'in the box' as it appears. Madison is full of dual working parents and stay at home moms, also cut down the middle, and again, compared to some places we have lived, we felt pretty accepted very quickly. It is a big sports town (kids actively involved in town sports) and I would say most of my neighbors commute to the city via train. It is longer than Maplewood, but most people feel it is worth it for the taxes/school and tight community feel. We loved Maplewood, by the way.
Taxes really are a lot lower, and the crazy thing is that when we left Essex county, our car insurance dropped dramatically as well.
My friend was a professor at SHU, and before that, Bowdoin College. Very accomplished woman. They moved to Chatham and all the moms on her street felt sorry for her for having to work.
Interesting thread. We've been toying with the idea of moving from our house to a condo in Union or Morris county. Amazing just how much time is added to the NY train ride with just a few stops (possibly because Summit is a hub?). Saw a lovely complex in Convent Station--Moore Estate, I believe it was called. Right near Loantaka Reservation. But an acquaintance living nearby told us that the walls there are so thin that you can hear your neighbors flush...
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Can anyone who has lived in both offer pros/cons?