(Aug. 1, 2024) - NEW REAL ESTATE RULES, EVEN IF JUST LOOKING

As of August 1st, if you are in the market to buy a home, you’ll need to sign a new document before you can even physically look inside.

Before you can even tour a prospective home, you will need to sign a contract with a licensed real estate agent. In order to just wander through a single home, you will be forced to legally tie yourself to a real estate agent. This means time-consuming contract negotiations... again, just to look. This is completely absurd!

Like all other contracts, this contract is negotiable: how many homes, commission rates, length of time (be it a day, a month, etc.), and other factors that go into buying, or looking at, a home.

“A lot of times you may not have even met a licensee prior to wanting to tour a home, and this is going to be a contract tying you to a licensee, for compensation, before you even met the individual. So, you really need to understand what is in the contract,” said Jim Knupp, deputy director of the Arizona Dept. of Real Estate.

Why does such a department even exist? Supposedly, the added document is in response to recent lawsuits by the Department of Justice against the National Association of Realtors. In addition, the department investigates complaints against licensees. Okay, so investigate the complaints and stay the hell out it, otherwise. It’s just government intervening in yet another issue that should be left to you and a second party, with or without a third party agent involved. Quite honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if the government and the real estate industry are in cohoots to squeeze even more money out of potential buyers.

To make things even more stupid, this change will affect open house viewings. The Arizona Department of Real Estate said you can expect to see these documents before you walk inside an open house viewing. So if you’re someone who likes to walk into “open house” showings just to get ideas for your own home, you’ll need to sign a contract. As I stated, this is absurd.

Heck, let’s add another level to the stupidity. This rule is expected to be a standard throughout the country with some other states starting such rules beginning August 15th.

(May 4, 2024) – FALSE ADVERTISING BY CORPORATIONS?

What makes me angry? A number of things, but especially liars and cheats. I have zero respect for large companies who con others by intentionally lying about their products/services. While I have never bought anything from the following company, I felt an obligation to pass this bit of news on to those whom may have.

Williams-Sonoma, sellers of kitchen ware, outdoor/garden products, and more, recently agreed to a nearly $3.2 million civil penalty with the Federal Trade Commission for violating a “Made in USA” order. According to the FTC, the home retailer advertised that some products, sold under its various banners, as being made in the USA, when they were actually made in China, or elsewhere.

This isn’t the first time, either. In 2020, the FTC sued Williams-Sonoma for similar misleading claims of products supposedly having been made in the United States. The retailer paid $1 million to settle that case. The FTC stated that Williams-Sonoma’s fine is the largest ever levied in a ‘Made in USA’ case.

This particular incident started with the company marketing Pottery Barn Teen mattress pads as “Crafted in America from domestic and imported materials.” However, the mattress pads, as its label stated, were made in China. The FTC then began investigating other Williams-Sonoma products advertised as Made in USA . The FTC found that some products under the retailer’s Goldtouch, Rejuvenation, Pottery Barn Teen and Pottery Barn Kids brands were not made in the USA as advertised.

Personally, when I shop, I almost always look to see where a product was made. I try to buy ‘Made in the USA’ as much as possible, assuming the product appears to be made well, and is reasonably priced. I’m willing to pay a little extra to help keep manufacturing jobs in America, and also add to our GDP. In addition, I try to avoid ‘Made in China’ as much as possible, since, if we do have a real enemy to worry about, it’s them.

I realize some people only worry about price because their personal finances put them in that position. However, as an older person who has seen much of America’s high-pay manufacturing jobs disappear over the decades, only to be replaced by often lower-pay service jobs, I’d prefer to make the American job market more profitable. If it’s a family-owned, or small S-Corporation, that’s even better.