What Photographs Hide

A great listing photo is meant to make you fall in love. Wide-angle lenses make rooms look twice as large as they are. Bright editing hides water stains and worn finishes. Carefully chosen angles keep the busy highway, the neighbor's junk pile, or the crumbling foundation just out of frame. None of that is illegal. It is just marketing.

The problem is that buyers — especially buyers relocating from out of state — sometimes make offers based almost entirely on photos. They fall in love with a kitchen, a view, a vaulted ceiling. And then they arrive at the property and discover that the photo told only part of the story.

Here is what cameras routinely hide, and what you should be looking for before you ever make an offer.