As an appraiser, I often go into homes where the homeowner wants to dictate what their home is worth. The most difficult home I ever went into was when the owners already had their worth in mind. I couldn’t talk them out of anything less. They thought since their neighbors could get a certain amount of money, they should also be able to. They had removed the HVAC system in the house, because it was new. They told me they were planning on putting the old HVAC system back in. They were removing light fixtures, air vent covers, and even light switches. I told them they weren’t able to remove the light fixtures without putting an alternate light fixture and switches in. They thought I was trying to cheat them out of money. If I hadn’t known what they were planning, I would have given them an appraisal that included the upgrade, including the new HVAC system. They were openly telling me that this was their plan so they could make more money. I asked the owner how old the other HVAC system was. The husband laughed, and he told me they took it out because he couldn’t afford to continue having it fixed. I went back to my office and talked to the senior appraiser. He told me he would take care of the house so I didn’t have to feel bad. When he talked to the owners, he hard balled them. He told them that if they removed all the items they were talking about, they would take away nearly half their appraisal amount.