How many Realtors have gone into homes that are now bank-owned with disgust and amazement at the condition of the property? The former borrowers do get grumpy and start pulling fixtures out and bashing in the walls, right?  Some of the houses are just plain disgusting after the former owner moves out. You know the ones....let the animals soil the carpet or the house looked like it had not been cleaned in years. 

Someday, somewhere these former owners will need to be renters. Will anyone care what condition you left your home?  One of the key factors in determining who to rent one of the properties I manage is how the tenants will treat the home. Since public records are..well, public one of the tools to investigate the applicant is the public record to see if the applicant has ever owned a home in the area. You had better believe that I will remember the condition the home was in when the owner left it.  Afterall, if the tenant did not care about his/her own home it is not really likely that they will care about someone else's as a renter.