It's finally spring and you're ready to find the right Wellesley MA area home for sale. We've put together some tips to help make your Wellesley MA home buying process go smoothly.
1. Find the Right Real Estate Professional. This is such an important step and will truly make the difference in the home you buy, your stress level and the money you ultimately spend.
2. Make sure you are Pre-Approved for a Mortgage. You've heard it said before, but it's true, you need to know how much you can afford. Unless you are buying in cash you'll need a financing source and you'll need to know how much that source is willing to finance.
3. Create a 'Must Have" List. This is your list of non-negotiable's and allows your agent to select only listings that meet the qualifications of this list, so that you're not looking at every home on the market and wasting your valuable time.
4. Open yourself up to Suggestions. Share your must have list with your Real Estate Agent. They will be able to make suggestions that you may not have considered about the style or type of home/neighborhood you are looking at and could ultimately change your requirements or amenities list.
5. Make sure to check out the Neighborhood. Now that you've found your home, walk the neighborhood at different times of the day, and even at night. Talk to neighbors to find out about the people, what they like, dislike, recommendations etc. Make sure it would be a good fit for you and your family.
6. The Home Needs to be Inspected! You'll need to make sure that YOU walk through the home and do a total checklist of your own. But you aren't a professional inspector so make sure you hire one to go through the home, once that has been done make sure you follow through on all of their recommendations.
7. Submitting a Reasonable Offer. This is another reason why you need to work with a local Real Estate agent. Understanding the local housing market, the inventory of homes, home values and if a home may get multiple bids is all information that goes into the offer YOU will make. 
8. Understand the Process & the Paperwork. Your agent should have gone through all of this with you in the beginning of your search, but don't hesitate to ask questions along the way. This can be an overwhelming process at times. Once you have found a home you will be advised to seek an Attorney to handle the legal aspects of the sale of the home.
9. Stick to Your Pre-determined Price. It's always tough to have your heart set on a home and lose it in a bidding war, but it is much worse to go above what you can afford! It is better to find a second home that you like "almost as much" as the first so that you have something to lean back on if the situation arises.
10. Don't expect the Sellers to make too many Improvements.Things like worn carpeting and countertops are figured into the sales price of the home upfront, so trying to get the homeowner to make more adjustments at the end can be difficult. Rely on your agent to know what is permissible and what isn't.
For more Wellesley MA home buying tips check out our website at www.teamlynchrealestate.com. We've lived and worked in the Wellesley MA area for 20+ years and would be happy to give you a tour of our town and all the great homes for sale. Give us a call any time!
