The photos looked great. Beautiful updated kitchen, new countertops, the whole thing. Buyer offers 415, seller accepts, we're moving. Appraiser comes out Tuesday, and I'm not worried because comps support it, I pulled them myself, three sales within half a mile in the last 60 days. He calls me Thursday. Says he's coming in at 378. 378. That's not a little short, that's 37 thousand dollars short. And the reason — the reason — is that he used a comp from eight months ago that was a foreclosure. A foreclosure. Which sold for nothing because the previous owner literally removed the kitchen cabinets when they left. There were no cabinets in that house. He's comparing it to a house with quartz countertops. My buyer's lender won't budge. Seller won't come down because she already bought her next place and needs every dollar. Buyer can't bring 37 thousand to closing, obviously, because who has that. Called the appraiser's office to ask about a reconsideration of value. Left two messages. Third call, someone picks up and tells me he's on vacation until the 15th. On vacation. While my deal dies. The seller keeps texting me asking if everything's okay. Three texts yesterday. I haven't responded to the last one because what do I even say. Everything is not okay. Everything is the opposite of okay. Her moving truck is scheduled for Saturday. I've been in this business 12 years and I still don't understand how one person with a clipboard can just decide a house is worth whatever they feel like.