That happened to my neighbor. Between signing the papers and taking position, scrappers came in and took out the furnace, ductwork, etc.
I recall going into a pawn shop and seeing a 2.5 ton central A/C condenser unit sitting there with a price tag on it. Brand new, the hacksawed copper lines were still bright. Probably swiped from one of the houses being built in the area, before a new owner moved in.
To make it worse, the pawn shop also had an indoor pistol range, so the cops that frequented the place winked at that stuff.