It’s time for another installment of Real Actual Listing Photos. Once a month (or so) I round up some of the most bizarre listing photos from around the Seattle area and post them here, with brief excerpts from the real actual listing description, and probably a bit of snarky commentary.
The idea for this series stems from the ongoing forum thread Detrimental Listing Photos, which is where you should post your nominations for next month’s Real Actual Listing Photos post.
This month’s theme is MEGA MOUNTAIN. Yes, you can see Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, the Cascades, and the Olympics from various homes in the Seattle area. However, no, they will not fill your entire field of vision. Of course, that bothersome fact won’t stop listing agents from posting photos that attempt to fool buyers into thinking they will!
On a related note, there are 664 listings across King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties that mention Mount Rainier in the description, 628 that mention the Olympics, 463 that mention the Cascades, and just 86 that mention Mount Baker.
Enough explanation. Let’s get to the photos! Click the photo to view the Real Actual Listing.
“The calm of Elliot Bay; the vibrancy of the downtown Seattle skyline; the singular majesty of Mt. Rainier are equally matched by this classically inspired residence.”
Wow. What can I even add to that kind of description? Classic, indeed.
“Exceptional and unique in every way. .. truly an heirloom quality home.”
Exaggerated photos of mountain views and exaggerated listing descriptions. Two great tastes that taste great together.
“Cascades & Mt Rainier follow you up to the rooftop patio.”
Whoa, not sure I’d want to be stalked by an entire mountain.
“A true blend of Tuscan and Northwest style, this residence offers the timeless beauty & craftsmanship of authentic old world stucco with compliments of intricate wood detailing.”
Seriously, is there some sort of special superfluous adjective thesaurus that these listing agents use to write these descriptions? “Authentic old world stucco”? Really? Authentic? They shipped 200+ year-old stucco across the planet to install in this 2006-built Kirkland home? Somehow I doubt that.
“Soaring 180 degree views from beautifully crafted home perched high above water overlooking Hat Island, views stretch from Mt Baker to Mt Rainier!”
I wonder what the difference is between a regular view and a “soaring” view.
“Breathtaking views of Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains & picturesque Shilshole Bay Marina. Spectacular sunsets, soaring eagles & the allure of yachts & sailboats…”
Because most people want to spend all of their time at home staring outside at the “allure of yachts.”
“Remarkably one of the most stunning homes with sunrises and sunsets.”
I thought we would close things up with a couple of more realistic mountain photos. This shot from a condo for sale at the super luxury Fifteen Twenty-One Second Avenue building appears to be zoomed in a bit, but at least they didn’t overdo it (with the photo anyway).
“Extraordinary Northwest style. .. custom designed with an open expansive layout that takes full advantage of all day sun and panoramic views from Mt Rainier to the Olympics.”
Heh, not sure I would have chosen to feature the patio furniture quite so prominently, but at least the mountain is shown at a realistic scale.
Let me know if you have an idea for the next “Real Actual Listing Photos” theme.
00
That first image cracks me up. Who knew that Buckley has such a thriving sea port? Or is that new development on Bonney Lake?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I’m still trying to figure out how one stares at the allure of yachts verses the yacht itself. I thought allure was an experince, not an object. What does allure look like? Will I know it when I see it? Do I need special glasses?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
oh oh…even yours truly is guilty of this one on our website:
http://www.500realty.net/contact.php
Rate this comment:
0 
0
RE: ray pepper @ 3 – Is it just my browser, or is that a stretch ferry? ;-)
Rate this comment:
0 
0
A Lion’s Share of PNW Real Estate is Sold as View Property
Its a joke.
Hades, many $800/mo Auburn 3 bdrm apartments have a view of Ranier better than most of these “over-blown” examples…so what?
In the end, you’re not gazing at your so-called view hardly at all….but you do pay attention to those monthly rent/mortgage payments…
Rate this comment:
0 
0
RE: Kary L. Krismer @ 4 – I think it is just going into/ coming out of warp…
Rate this comment:
0 
0
RE: ray pepper @ 3 – Ray, could you correct the calculator to reflect the min commission? Simply entering $100, it says I’ll get back $2.25.
http://www.500realty.net/buying.php
Rate this comment:
0 
0
By cheapseats @ 6:
Cool. I’m going to buy Kitsap County reality before anyone else figures this out!
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Heh! I can see Mount Baker from my kitchen window . . . between the trees, on a clear day, if I know where to look. Can I put that in my listing description when I go to sell? Maybe I should install one of those prismatic lenses that they put in the back of RV windows so it will look bigger – what’s that, those actually make things look smaller? Drat!
On the topic of pushing the limits, a few years ago I was driving through the center of Mercer Island and saw several houses for sale which had the “WATERFRONT” placard separately attached underneath the sign. Knowing that I was nowhere near the edge of the island in any direction, I just had to stop and check it out. Well, there was a man-made “lake” of sorts in the back which gave the impression that their storm drains were blocked up and the water had covered their back yards. The lake was suitable for children’s toys and that’s about it. I suspect that one could wade all the way across quite easily.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
RE: redmondjp @ 9 – I once handled a fraud claim by a buyer where the listing was advertised as waterfront, but there was really a community area around the entire lake, so my client’s property didn’t touch the water. Prior to buying and during a visit, my client told one of the agents (I don’t remember if it was the selling agent or listing agent) of her plans to build a dock, which that person admitted the statement was made and admitted they didn’t tell her she couldn’t build a dock.
I actually had to get in front of a judge for the agent’s and seller’s attorney to agree to settle the case. Maybe they were getting their legal advice from Ardell! ;-) :-D
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I’ve been in that first house. Contrary to the picture, the stairs going up are not nearly horizontal.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
RE: ChrisM @ 7 –
I don’t do any of that stuff. I’ll forward it to web designer and add it to her to-do list..BTW…yes, its a STRETCH FERRY coming out of a time warp!
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Here is another fitting into the theme.
http://www.redfin.com/WA/Seattle/5009-S-Oregon-St-98118/home/489233
“White oak floors accentuate the full-scale freedom of furniture capacity, people flow, stunning bursting view perspectives.”
Rate this comment:
0 
0
RE: randy @ 13 –
Proof that after a couple of glasses of white wine every realtor thinks she’s the next Longfellow.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Love this:
“Remarkably one of the most stunning homes with sunrises and sunsets.”
First of all, that sentence doesn’t really even make sense: a home with sunsets and sunrises? What, does the house have it’s own sun?
And although size is upwards of 3000sq ft and asking over 3.5 Million, I still doubt it has enough of a view to see a sunrise and a sunset. Unless of course it has it’s own sun.
Rate this comment:
0 
0
They should have to write a disclaimer with the listing photos like…”Warning, objects in photo may appear closer than they actually are” or “Photo taken from an adjacent properties with a better view.”
Rate this comment:
0 
0
RE: LA Relo @ 15 – If it is a high point on a ridge or in a tall building that has east and west views it would be very possible to have sunrise/sunset views
Rate this comment:
0 
0
Hilarious! Real Estate Agents are generally the only people that have their pictures on their business cards…I wonder…do they alter those too?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
I think those are still better than no picture at all. I’ve seen a bunch of listings that mention the magnificent view and fail to provide a photo. If the view is that great, it’s worth the 10 seconds to take a picture. The agents will include a picture of a gollyed toilet in the listing, but not of the view. What’s up with that?
Rate this comment:
0 
0
i’m proud to say I listed my queen anne condo without one touch up in a photo editting software…. condo is not sold yet… maybe i should :)
Rate this comment:
0 
0
[...] Real Actual Listing Photos: Mega Mountain Edition – Again, I’m a big fan of the entire Real Actual Listing Photos series. Seriously, I can’t believe people pay agents 3% for this crap. [...]
Rate this comment:
0 
0
[...] Mega Mountain: Okay this one is mostly just a thing in the Seattle area. [...]
Rate this comment:
0 
0