Real Estate Search Blog

At the Wellesley Real Estate Blog you can find Wellesley market reports, Wellesley home values, Wellesley MLS listings, information on Wellesley schools and Wellesley neighborhoods, and useful articles with topics including first-time homebuyers, the tax credit, financing options, staging, and more.

Wellesley Real Estate Blog

The Wellesley Real Estate Blog is a frequently updated blog written by the top real estate agents at Christine Norcross & Partners. Take advantage of the free expert advice from top Wellesley real estate agents Christine Norcross & Partners. Christine Norcross & Partners is a leading team within William Raveis Real Estate and Home Services.

Get started on your search for Wellesley real estate by bookmarking the Wellesley Real Estate Blog today.

One of the many reasons people fall in love with Newton real estate are the endless opportunities to experience arts and culture right in Newton or in its neighboring suburbs. If you’re looking for Newton real estate, consider working with Christine Norcross & Partners, who provide assistance for those relocating to Newton, Wellesley, Brookline, Natick, Needham, and Weston, Massachusetts.

One of the most relaxing things to do on a frigid winter day in Massachusetts is to take the family on a trip to the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens. Admission is free, the rooms are warm and balmy, flowery perfume lingers in the air, and kids can marvel at plants that are native to places all over the country. Afterwards, take the family on a walk through town to do some shopping, book-browsing, or a leisurely lunch at a local cafe.

Click this picture to be taken to the Youtube video from last year

And pictures from the plants of 2010:

A lemon

There are lots of different things that you need to look at when you’re shopping for a Wellesley home. Price and the amenities around the place are just a few of the considerations. You’ll want to look through and see what’s been upgraded on the inside and what you ‘ll need to do yourself, and you’ll need to make sure all the plumbing and electrical work won’t cause you any problems.

And there’s one more thing that you won’t want to forget on the outside. You need to take to take a look to see if the Wellesley real estate around the home has a passing grade.

And, no , that doesn’t mean that you’ll be assigning a mark to the property. It does mean, however, that you need to look at the way the land slopes around the home. The grade is the way the earth around the foundation angles itself. It should be facing away from the concrete so that rain water and melting snow is funneled away. If it isn’t, or if the water has pooled around the concrete for any considerable amount of time, you’ll need to check to see if any cracks have developed in the basement walls.

If you decide to buy the place , one of the first things that you can do to prevent any further water damage is change the grade by piling up earth against the side of the foundation so that a downward slope will carry away any drainage.

One of the most important ingredients to finding a great Wellesley home is starting out with the right Wellesley real estate agent. These are the people who will quarterback your search for a new place in the area, so you’ll want to be sure they meet some of your credentials.

1. They should have experience. That means not only licenses and the any other proper training that’s necessary, but knowledge of the Wellesley neighborhoods that suit you best. If the real estate agent that you finally pick is a native of the area, all the better
2. They should have references. Remember that you’re interviewing for the job. You don’t need to pick the first agent that comes your way. Ask to see some proof that they’re good at their jobs. They should be able to supply names and numbers of past satisfied customers that you can contact. If not, you’ll wan to find one that can
3. Finally, they should be personable enough to listen to you when you tell them what you’re looking for and take a personal interest. Remember that having a solid connection will make it easier to work with your agent and find the home that you really want.

Finding a good Wellesley real estate agent is easier when you’ve got some criteria to look at. Christine Norcross has been consistantly a top Wellesley real estate agent, using cutting edge technologies within her team of Wellesley real estate experts to assist you with the sale of your home in Wellesley, or your relocation to Wellesley or the surrounding communities.

Before you buy a Wellesley home, you should have it inspected by a professional home inspector. These are the experts that can help you to determine if there’s really anything seriously wrong with the Wellesley real estate that you’re looking at. You will need to how to find to find a good home inspector to get the best results. And that means there are some questions that you can ask

1. You’ll want to know how long they’ve been in the business. Experience is everything in most jobs and that includes home inspection. The longer a home inspector has been working in the field, the more likely they are to catch all the smaller things that can make a difference down the road.
2. Ask about their training and background as well. Like real estate agents, the best home inspectors are the ones that have the best training and are willing to upgrade constantly.
3. Remember that you should avoid home inspectors that also do repair work or that have friends that they can recommend to you. It’s best if you hire someone that has nothing to gain by find out out what’s wrong with the Wellesley home that you’re looking at

Finding the fight home inspector is just another aspect of buying a home that you need to take seriously.

Keep in mind that selling a home in today’s greater Boston real estate market is more difficult than it has been in years before you even start thinking about selling your Wellesley home. There are costs involved as well that you might not realize at first, but after considering all the factors, selling can still be a worthwhile experience.

Remember that even the smaller cosmetic repairs will increase your chances of making a sale. Some good examples include painting a front door, upgrading the landscaping around the home, fixing the cracks in the driveway and replacing a worn carpet. Even though these are an expense, you need to keep in mind that cash spent here should be recouped in the sale.

Sales commissions are another expense. When you sell any Wellesley real estate, it’s the best idea to use a licensed agent. For their negotiable fee, you’ll be able to take some of the burden off your shoulders.

Remember too that there will be closing costs involved. Usually there will be a lawyers fee and there might be additional costs that are up to you and the other parties to sort through.

Finally, you can’t forget about the moving costs you’ll need to plan for. You’ll need to either hire a company or rent a truck if you plan on doing it yourself.

When you’re getting ready to sell your Wellesley real estate, one of the first things that you’ll want to consider is having a professional company help you stage the home. It’s a proven fact that Wellesley homes that have some expert marketing input sell quicker.

There are a few things that you will need to consider about the staging process in general.

• Contrary to some people’s beliefs, the whole process is not frivolous. Remember that any investment that you make in your Wellesley real estate is money well spent on the biggest investment that you have. Today’s home buyer views the property on the Internet first and that means that a little cleanup on the outside will, according to the experts, represent an additional return of seven to ten percent
• The stager that you choose will do a room by room inspection. Keep in mind here that the average homeowner thinks she knows what will be best, but you should wait for the expert opinion. You might think that the whole kitchen in your Wellesley home might need to come out, but a professional stager knows when you can get by with a fresh coat of paint.

Remember that the Wellesley homes that sell quickly are the ones that have been staged by the professionals.

Not everyone who is looking into the Wellesley real estate market is a buyer. There are investors looking to buy properties in Wellesley since these are of the highest caliber. The question remains: How does an investor fund some of these real estate purchases? All the experts agree that there are many different ways to get the money together to make a purchase of a Wellesley property, and there are several popular techniques that had proven results.

1. Bringing in partners This is one of the ways that you can cut your closing costs. If you don’t have the money yourself, but you know that the properties you are looking at are a good investment, chances are that you can bring in friends or family or other colleagues and have them put some money towards the pool.
2. Sell off part of the property right away. If the property you are looking at includes something like an extra lot or a mobile home, you can make some extra money for your own Wellesley property transaction by selling off part of the assets right away.

Remember too that when you’re buying Wellesley real estate that is a rental property, you are entitled to the existing tenants’ security deposits, which you can use for your own transactions.

Wellesley real estate stands on its own as some of the finest property of the United States. However, in today’s market there is an ecological trend that more and more buyers are looking toward in their new homes. When you’re looking at the Wellesley homes that are available, it’s a great idea if you have a green checklist that you can check the property against. And one of the best places to start is with the foundation.

It’s important to remember that an insulated foundation is all about energy conservation in the home and beyond, creating a more comfortable environment for the people living there. It helps to do its part in an ecological way. One of the problems is that even though the foundation is an integrated part of the house and its heating and cooling system, it is not always considered when the family is looking at green issues.

The experts suggest that all foundations should be insulated. They say the best way to do this is on the outside since it reduces the risk of condensation. The best method involves two inches of a rigid foam insulation that stretches to the top of the foundation and down to the footing.

Insulating the floor slabs is another good idea. Again a rigid foam insulation is best used here and with little pre-planning you can ensure that the Wellesley home that you’ve picked out for yourself is as green as possible.

Wellesley real estate is some of the nicest in the country but that doesn’t mean that you won’t have the occasional problem and that’s why it’s good to know a few fixes that will prevent you from pushing the panic button. There are many fine Wellesley homes for sale and once you get the one that suits you, don’t be thrown off by some minor problems with quick fixes that look major at first.

Leaking pipes can make any homeowner nervous and typically the breaks in these fall into three general categories: big breaks, pinhole leaks, hairline cracks. Many do-it-yourselfers feel most confident about fixing either the pinhole leak or the hairline crack. It’s a good idea to call an expert plumber for anything larger than a hairline crack.

For the pinhole leaks, one of the quick easy ways to make a repair is with electrician’s tape. So that the tape has the best chance of sticking in place, you need to be sure that the pipe is dry first and this could mean that you’ll need to shut off the water supply. Remember that using this kind of tape is a temporary fix that should hold until you get something more permanent in place.

For a hairline crack your best bet is to get a pipe clamp repair kit from your local renovation store. These are generally easy to use and come with instructions. Having some proactive hints on your side will increase your piece of mind no matter what kind of Wellesley real estate you choose.