Now that Fall has begun in Wellesley, and the selling season is off to a terrific start, it's important to be mindful of the first impression a potential buyer has of your home.  Many interested buyers will drive by a home and neighborhood to get a feel for what living there would be like.  So make sure you've put your best foot forward and that the front of your home and it's landscaping are up to par and says "Welcome to our Home".

Although this is usually the last place you look to "tidy up", prospective buyers can be very particular about the landscaping of the home, and may not even get  to the inside if they don't like what they see outside.  Therefore, it is important to make sure your landscape say's "this homeowner pay's attention to details and has kept up all the maintenance of the home".

First place to start...your lawn!  Buyers love to see pretty green grass, regardless of season, so make sure you have kept the grass cut to a low manicured level- usually 3 inches, and have used seasonal seeding in areas that are sparse. Watering may be necessary with seeding or to perk it up, so water a few times if needed. A few brown spots are bound to happen, and aren't the end of the world, you'll just make sure that the focal point is elsewhere.

Second, make sure you've edged your sidewalks and driveways, and taken care of any weeds that are lurking in and behind bushes and shrubs.  Using a Round Up type weed killer will save your knees, and make sure you've gotten even the most stubborn weeds out of the way. It is also the season for those lovely Fall leaves to cover the ground, so be sure to rake on a consistent basis and bag the leaves as you go.

Third, make sure your shrubs and bushes are nicely trimmed, and pruned, if necessary. Nothing is worse that driving up to a home with bushes and shrubs that are overgrown. If you have wood chips or stones around these areas, you may want to add a few bags just to freshen them up. A little effort goes a long way with landscaping basics, and you'll be surprised how beautiful it will look.

Lastly, add a "pop" of color!  Although we have beautiful colors in the trees, once leaves are on the ground they look pretty dingy, so look for some Fall flowers that will give you a nice spot of color and emphasize the entrance to the home. Chrysanthemums, Mums, Sunflowers , and Astors are all hearty Fall flowers and take minimum effort to keep them looking great.

We've all  experienced the challenges of the economy and housing market the past couple years, but 2013 has been different. Wellesley area resident's attitudes toward the housing market have improved, and we've seen a big increase in activity in the Wellesley housing market this year. We've also seen Wellesley housing prices increase this year, which has been great for sellers. I've seen many buyers entering the market, so they can buy homes now, for fear of the continuing rise in home values and interest rates.

Many Wellesley MA renters believe strongly, that home ownership is an important financial decision and most renters I speak with, tell me homeownership is one of their top goals. The National Association of Realtors®, of which I'm a member, published a survey called, "The Housing Pulse Survey"; that showed renters are considering buying a home, more now than in recent years.  At the same time, the number of people who prefer to rent has declined substantially.

This year more renters are thinking about purchasing a home, and many have told me that owning a home is one of their highest priorities. However, many 1st time home buyers either can't stop renting or can't buy the home they really want. Student loan debt, and little savings for a down payment or closing costs can make it hard for them to buy a home. Many 1st time home buyers I meet, consider student loan debt to be one of their biggest obstacles. Home buyers with student loan debt find it challenging to access mortgage credit or to save for a down payment. 

Owning a home in Wellesley MA matters to Wellesley residents, who understand the benefits home ownership provide for their families and community. Right now, affordable home prices, and historically low interest rates, have more renters thinking about owning a home than in recent years. In some areas, it  costs less to own a home than to rent one.

So it’s a no- brainer for renters to understand that buying a home in Wellesley MA, gives them awesome long-term benefits and is  the best major investment they can make. The bottom line is that buying a home in Wellesley and Metrowest is a great financial decision and NOW is a great time to buy a home.

1. Protect the contents of the medicine cabinet . Medicine is stolen more often than anything else. Hard narcotics and prescription drugs will sell for big money on the street, protect them by packing discreetly. Did you know that pain pills like, Codeine, Morphine or Vicodin can sell for as much as five dollars on the street and expensive perfume is impossible to trace?
2. Inventory your sports equipment. Equipment like, surfboards, climbing gear, kayaks, quality bikes, snowboards, skiis,skates and more, are sometimes stolen by neighborhood kids as well as thieves as you prepare to move. So if you can, move your sports equipment yourself.
3. Secure your financial information. Pack and transport bank statements,  investment info, social security numbers, bills and anything that has your personal information. Did you know that your date of birth, social security number and one credit card statement can be combined and easily be sold on the black market for as much as $1,000.00 dollars. Identity thieves are almost impossible to catch. Even more frustrating is the fact that you'll spend countless hours trying to correct your credit agency profiles. So contact your banks and credit card companies and the post office to give them your new address and instruct them to verify all credit requests by phone.
4. Protect your fine china, crystal and sterling silver. Believe it or not, these items sometimes disappear and aren't there upon your arrival. Even expensive bowls get removed from moving boxes. Sometimes it takes weeks before you even realize they're gone.
5. Inventory and be certain about  your jewelry. Gold, silver, and precious stones can easily be pawned or sold for big  money. Thieves can quickly slip items like these into a pocket on moving day. I advise you to put these items in the same box with your medicine cabinet contents; and put them in your carry on bag or a personal bag that's always with you.