The Swellesley Report » real estate

All about clustering: Learn about Wellesley subdivision development plans

bbrown — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:41:10 +0000

Wellesley hosting public meetings on going with split tax system

bbrown — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:22:30 +0000

The Board of Selectmen will host public meetings tonight, Sept. 26 at 730pm (and again on Oct. 17) at town hall about the benefits of sticking with a single-rate tax system for residents and businesses vs. the benefits of moving to a dual-rate one that might increase the rate for businesses.

You can study up on presentations being delivered by the board, by resident Jim Miller (who is in favor of dual rate) and the Wellesley Chamber of Commerce (which is against making a change, which is says won’t boost revenue and head off any overrides).

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Wellesley watchtowers?

bbrown — Thu, 05 May 2011 21:38:46 +0000

A reader wrote to ask what the “ugly concrete structures” are that have risen at the Waterstone at Wellesley senior living construction project in Lower Falls.

National Development assures us they’ll be pretty before you know it. They’re just stair and escalator enclosures.

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$3.995M bid, do I hear $5M? Wellesley mansion hits the auction block

bbrown — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 16:01:00 +0000

A Boston Globe columnist ponders whether the auction route is the best way to go for a Cliff Estates house in Wellesley that cost $4.5M to build/pay for the land in 2008 and was last listed at $5.2M. Bidding starts at $3.995M. (He writes: “The tax bill alone – $51,446 – is enough to pay the salary of a police officer or school teacher in town. It comes with a music room, theater, wine cellar and mahogany library. Sounds nice if you have the cash.”)

It’s not the only auction in town either. Next month, four lots in the North Star Estates development can be had as a package.

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No fooling — Wellesley Grossman’s lives!

bbrown — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 21:43:29 +0000

Our April Fools’ spoof from last year about a group of Wellesley preservationists seeking to save the Grossman’s sign and colors wasn’t so far from the truth after all.

It turns out that National Development Group, the outfit building the Waterstone at Wellesley senior living project on the site of the old Grossman’s store in Lower Falls, indeed does have plans ” to incorporate the historical significance of the Grossman legacy into the design of the community, from using the same iconic orange and white colors in certain portions of the design to utilizing portions of brick from the store in the actual construction.”

My head is spinning. We had written last April 1:

Efforts are underway by the Save Gross outfit to work with builder National Development to ensure the mixed-use project it plans to break ground on this spring on the old Grossman’s site will incorporate historical aspects of the store. Reportedly, the apartments set to be built will be painted either orange or white, featuring flecks of paint scrapped off the Grossman’s building, and will be laid out by “aisles” commemorating the most beloved sections of the old store, such as screws and plumbing.

As for the big old sign, no, it isn’t sitting in some selectman’s living room. Rather, the Quincy Historical Society has grabbed it and is trying to figure out what to do with it. Grossman’s got its start in Quincy, so it’s of historical significance there.

Meanwhile, progress continues at the Waterstone project as seen here. Interestingly, Waterstone has become the subject of study for graduate students in a Boston University School of Management class as well.

RELATED: Wellesley April Fools 2011

The Grossman’s sign goes down (video)

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Appraisers to pay Wellesleyites a visit in coming weeks

bbrown — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:44:45 +0000

Expect an appraiser representing the Wellesley Board of Assessors to visit your property within the next few weeks so that the town can do its annual real estate review for tax purposes.

Appraisals are estimated to take about 15 minutes and include exterior and interior reviews, including photographs. If you’re not home at the time an appraiser first visits, the person will look at the outside of your property and leave a card to arrange an interior appraisal. Appraisers will come with a letter of introduction identifying them as being there on behalf of the town, and police are aware of the process.

If you any questions, please call the Assessors’ office at 781-431-1019, ext. 2272.

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Realtor Raveis moving across Wellesley Square to former Ann Taylor space

bbrown — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:15:23 +0000

Hope you’re more in the market for a new house than a dress. William Raveis Real Estate, which has been located at 50 Central St., is moving west in Wellesley Square to the former Ann Taylor street-level space this summer.

The prominently located Ann Taylor store closed in January after about a 14-year run.

The square (and just off the square, such as where Century 21 Commonwealth is now situated at the former funeral home) is now booming with real estate offices. Raveis is just down the block from the refurbished Coldwell Banker site and new Wellesley Real Estate office, and across the street is the newly opened Benoit Mizner Simon office . Pinnacle, Rutlege Properties and others are located nearby as well.

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Wellesley realtors: Just hobbyists?

bbrown — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:54:47 +0000

My head is spinning from reading what Wellesley realtors have to say about the local residential real estate market.

Mark at the Wellesley Real Estate’s blog writes that “Just 40 Wellesley properties have sold since January 1 of this year- an average of 3.6 per week” and goes on to write that properties are getting stale by being on the market so long, forcing big price reductions for sellers.

“Too many agents for whom real estate is a fun hobby? Hmmmmmm.”

Ouch.

That average number of homes selling per week is low when you consider that the average has been over 5 for each of the past 2 years in Wellesley, according to this report, but perhaps the bad weather in Q1 had something to do with it too? I don’t have historical figures at hand.

Meanwhile, another realtor in town assures us that the “SPRING HOUSING MARKET seems to be on fire!”

And over at Pinnacle, the realtors report that “There is more activity at higher price ranges than last year,” citing busy sales in early March and even during the recent February school vacation.

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Fresh signs of life in Wellesley Square

dcb — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 11:33:05 +0000

Even as Rugged Bear clears out, a couple of new Wellesley Square businesses — ice cream shop J.P. Licks and realtors Benoit Mizner Simon — have raised their signs, sprucing up the downtown area.

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Writer distraught over Queen Elizabeth II not moving to Wellesley

bbrown — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 11:32:50 +0000

A MetroWest Daily News writer laments that despite a home on Bradley Avenue in Wellesley being sold recently to Queen Elizabeth II, the royal one is not likely to be stepping foot in our fair town any time soon.

UPDATE: WHDH-TV has hopped on this story, too. So have the Globe and the Herald. The Townsman got the ball rolling last month.

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