Which term describes the act of removing personal or cultural items from a home to influence the appraisal?

• A. Whitewashing
• B. Redlining
• C. Blockbusting
• D. Steering

Answer: (A)

Discriminatory manipulation of a property's presentation to influence its appraisal. Whitewashing is the act of removing personal or cultural items from a home so it appears more neutral or appealing to appraisers or buyers, with the goal of shifting the appraisal value based on biased perceptions. This undermines fair housing and valuation integrity because it hides cultural context to favor a biased outcome. The other terms describe different discriminatory tactics not about altering a home's contents to sway an appraisal: redlining involves denying services in certain areas, blockbusting uses fear of demographic change to provoke sales, and steering directs buyers to or away from neighborhoods based on protected characteristics.