It's true, just like a bad match from E-Harmony, a property posted online that looks "too good to be true," may be just that.

As a real estate agent when I list a home, I like to hire a professional photographer. Why? I know that most home buyers start their searches online. Pictures are a great way to visualize what a home has to offer. A professional photographer uses their skills and knowledge to highlight the homes the best way possible. They take pictures at the right time of day for the best lighting, they use wide angle lenses making rooms appear larger, they Photoshop or other editing software. The results are amazing and often a home can look even better than it does in person. So while it is fine to start your search online, make sure that you actually have an agent preview the home with you before "moving in" mentally.

Looking online provides aspects of the home that the listing agent or homeowner want you to know about. It does not give you a sense of how the home flows from room to room, or how it might fit your lifestyle.

In short, once you have identified a home that you think may have potential, it is best to give us a call and take a quick tour. It may reveal that the home really is your dream home, or that it was just smoke and mirrors!

Thanks Great Colorado Homes for the wonderful info-graphic.