Wellesley

Wellesley has three stations on the Framingham/Worcester Line, Wellesley Farms, Wellesley Hills and Wellesley Square, with trains to South Station in Boston. MWRTA route 201 runs between Woodland station on the Green Line D branch and the Natick Mall, passing through Wellesley Square and along Route 9, seven days a week.

The three stations sit in different parts of town, so check which one is closest to each candidate home and whether you would walk, bike or drive to it. Compare homes on the trips you make every week, at the hours you make them, and include the Route 9 corridor if you would use the bus or drive that way.

For an older single-family home, list the age and condition of the roof, heating and cooling, electrical service and windows, and ask for permits for additions and finished basements. For a newer home, request the plans, permits, certificate of occupancy and any remaining warranty.

For a condominium, review the 6(d) certificate, budget and reserves, what the fee covers, parking and storage, and the rules on leasing and pets. Wellesley is also covered by the state's MBTA Communities law, which requires zoning for multifamily housing as of right in at least one district; ask the town what is now permitted near the address.

In Wellesley, wetlands review is handled by the Wetlands Protection Committee, which administers the state Wetlands Protection Act and the town's Wetlands Protection Bylaw (Article 44). Work within a wetland buffer zone, a riverfront area or a wetland resource area needs its review, so if a home sits near a pond, brook or wetland, ask whether past work needed a permit, and look up the address on FEMA's flood maps. If a home is in a Special Flood Hazard Area and you finance it with a federally regulated or federally backed loan, the lender will generally require flood insurance.

Students attend Wellesley Public Schools. Confirm the assigned schools for the exact address with the district, and use the state education department's (DESE) district profile for official enrollment and program information.

Wellesley's FY2026 residential rate is $10.17 per $1,000 of assessed value, or $1,017 a year for each $100,000 of assessment. Ask the assessor which personal exemptions might apply to you, and ask the seller for the most recent tax bill.

For a single-family home, budget for the building itself: roof, heating and cooling, windows and drainage. For a home in a mapped flood zone, get a flood insurance quote before you settle the budget, and for a condominium add the monthly fee and any planned assessments. FY2027 rates had not been certified at the time of writing.