Westwood

Westwood has two Commuter Rail stations on different lines. Route 128 station, at 50 University Avenue, is on the Providence/Stoughton Line and is also an Amtrak station served by Acela and Northeast Regional trains. Islington is on the Franklin/Foxboro Line. Both lines run to South Station in Boston. MBTA route 34E runs along Washington Street between Walpole Center and Forest Hills on the Orange Line.

The two stations are on separate lines with different schedules, so check which one fits each candidate home and the hours you travel. If you take Amtrak for work or family trips, include the drive to Route 128 station when you compare homes.

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. Westwood 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.

If a home sits near a pond, brook or wetland, ask whether past work on the property needed review by the town's Conservation Commission, 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 Westwood 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.

Westwood's FY2026 residential rate is $12.87 per $1,000 of assessed value, or $1,287 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.