They have almost 6 months worth of rent in savings, but their house they are selling looks like it is paid for, and estimated at $450-$500k value (redfin and the county appraisal).

My current credentials:Bachelors of science in Enterprise regulation For-profit, Non profit (Fancy way to say business law) Currently Pursuing my MBA in Finance, expected to graduate in May,2025 Appraiser Trainee License in NYCurrently Managing a small portfolio of properties (family). 

It’s a beautiful custom home, one of the nicest in a so-so Oakland neighborhood ("biggest house in not the best area").Here’s the context:- Bought in 2014 for $590k, appraised in 2022 for $1.2m.- Located in a C- to B neighborhood—close to amenities and mostly safe but not for everyone.- Converted to a rental in 2024; initially rented for $4,750/month, but tenants moved out, and the soft Bay Area rental market has made filling it challenging.

We currently owe about 140k and it was appraised last year at 250k.

We got an appraisal and I told them to lend no more than $3 million; in fact I negotiated a $3 million loan with the borrower on their behalf.  

To what extent does landscaping typically add value to a property for the purposes of appraisal and re-financing, compared to other improvements? 

I've underwritten hundreds of deals, submitted tens of LOIs and not had a single one accepted- The BRRRRs I did do weren't true BRRRRs because of low appraisals, or not accounting for all costs properly and I ended up leaving around $10k for each one in the deal.

Even if the house is appraised for that amount, that doesn't mean you can sell for it.

Property appraisers and home inspectors can be excellent realestate coaches.

It appraised for 10K more than we bought it for, its in a great area and will only appreciate over time.