Lies my Real Estate Agent Told me

Not my agent, fortunately.  But someone's agent is lying, and lying badly.

Here's the one picture given for MLS listing E2362526, which popped up this week (May 2012).  The address is 144 Hiawatha Road, Toronto.  The asking price is $459,000.

As long the listing remains live, you can get to it from this link:  http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=11919002

Here's the text from the listing: 

Attn Renovators, Builders And Handyman******Ready To Build. Seller Will Provide All The Drawings To Put Up A Two & Half Storey House******All City Approvals Included. Get In And Start Building. Approx. 1800 Sq Ft Above Ground Plus Basement. No Showings Inside The House. Built Houses Selling For 850K Plus In The Area. Hurry, Won't Last. Seller Can Build Out For You At $110.00/Sqft If Interested. Call Listing Agent 416-844-1357 For Details. **** EXTRAS **** Plans Approved For 4+1 Bedrooms, 5 Washrooms, Finished Basement With Separate Entrance. Immense Potential. No Chattels Included.

But look!  Here's how the Google Maps street view truck took it, April 2009, according to the fine print.  Quite the difference, eh?  Looks like they must have fixed it up quite a bit for the sale (spoiler/hint:  no they didn't).

Now here's the sad part.  In October 2011 someone posted the house for sale for $349,000 (link here).  Here's the picture, which is actually kind of cute, even with the purple/pink paint.  Look at all those gorgeous roses!  By the next month a blog was reporting that the house was only $299,000.

And here is the property today, May 12, 2012, as snapped by Michel Resendes.  Notice that the house next door has been McMansioned.The same pink/purple paint is there, so clearly it has been there since at least 2009.  The nice beige in the first photo?  Pre-dates 2009. 

I would bet a frosty beverage that the real estate agent has used the photo from the time the house was sold by its original owners.  There's no way for me to confirm that personally, but if anyone has agent access to MLS and could look up previous sales, I'd love to see it!

Another final detail; although the listing declares "All City Approvals Included", the Committee of Adjustment only heard the case on May 2, 2012.  The minutes are not published yet.