Yesterday I appraised a small brick ranch in Marrero.  As I turned down the street, the homes looked tidy and well kept.  And then I saw the subject.  The owner, who turned out was delighted with his work, had taken it on himself to paint every one of the brown bricks on his home fire engine red and the cement seams a bright white.  Honestly, I did not know what to say.  Although hard to quantify it appeared pretty obvious to me that the home had lost some of its appeal, if not value to the buying public.  The order was for a refinance and the owner informed me of his intention to staying in the house for an extended period.  This was a relief to me as I'm not sure how quickly this eye sore would sell on the open market.  And, to be sure, I felt it incumbent on me to mention this in the appraisal. Although its been said a thousand times, I guess I would advise to think hard about cosmetic changes, especially if you aren't sure how long you plan to live in the house.