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40046 N CARTER CT, San Tan Valley, AZ 85140 Pride of ownership is shown in this beautiful property nestled on a quiet cul-de-sac in San Tan Valley! Fall in love with a bright & spacious interior offering plantation shutters, soothing palette, wood-look tile floor, & modern recessed lighting. The remarkable kitchen features chocolate-stained c...

House Hunting on April 20th? 9 Things You Should Think about Before “Celebrating” 420 Day

By Lighter Side Staff

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Ma*****na may be legalized in many areas, and more widely accepted than ever, but that doesn’t make 420 Day any less special to those who like to celebrate it!

Despite many aficionados feeling like everything you do is just a little bit better and more fun when you’re high, perhaps house hunting isn’t one of the things that should be on your list of to-dos on April 20th.

Beside the fact that you shouldn’t be making such a major life decision high, here are 9 reasons to avoid house hunting after you’ve eaten a cosmic brownie, or smoked some kind nugs on 420 Day… or any other day for that matter:

(***Disclaimer: While it’s not required or recommended that you get high before reading this, readers who do might experience more laughter than those who do not. Just sayin’…)
1) It’s Difficult to Look at Houses With Sunglasses On

Wearing some shades may hide your bloodshot eyes from a real estate agent. But even if they chock it up to a fashion statement, it’s going to be difficult for you to appreciate the natural light spilling into the space from behind your Ray-Bans!

2) Cottonmouth Makes It Hard to Concentrate

The friendly banter between you and your agent will quickly make you realize how dry your mouth is and have you on the lookout for a way to wet your whistle. If it’s too unbearable, you might find yourself sticking your head under the kitchen faucet trying to pass it off as testing the taste of the local agua, or water pressure.

3) Pantry Snacks Can Be Tempting and Distracting

The munchies are bound to kick in at some point, and a well-stocked pantry may be the tipping point. Sampling the owner’s snacks isn’t cool, so prepare to be consumed by what you’d like to consume from the owner’s stash.

4) Pizza Takes Longer to Get Delivered Than a Showing Takes

Once you have food on your mind, ordering a pizza to be delivered to the house might seem like a good idea. But keep in mind that even Domino’s takes like a half hour to be delivered — and forget about DoorDash or Uber Eats, unless you plan on being at the house for like an hour and a half!

5) You Might Get Lost in the Walk-in Closet

Don’t underestimate how a walk-in closet can make you feel like you’ve entered the door to Narnia, and have you struggling for a way to find your way back to the real world.

6) You Might Crack Up at Something the Agent Says

When you head outside to check out the backyard, brace yourself if the agent says something like, “Check out the size of this deck!” That’d be funny enough if you weren’t high, but it’s even easier to succumb to uncontrollable laughter when you’re stoned.

7) You Might Try to Pet the Owner’s Cat

And if you see the owner’s cat climbing a tree while you’re out back, you might feel like you’re doing a good deed by catching it and bringing it back inside, only to find out it’s a raccoon.

8) You Might Get into a Philosophical Debate With the Agent

When you feel like the showing is coming to an end, you might need to buy some time for that pizza you ordered to arrive and launch into a philosophical debate with the agent about when the exact moment is that a “house” turns into a “home.”

9) You Might Doze off Mid-Conversation With the Agent

And, last but not least, as your agent tries to answer whatever off-the-wall question you ask, you might find your eyelids getting heavy, then take a nap while standing in the middle of the living room.

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This is a great home for a great price if you know of anyone looking for a home in the eat valley!

40046 N CARTER CT, San Tan Valley, AZ 85140 Pride of ownership is shown in this beautiful property nestled on a quiet cul-de-sac in San Tan Valley! Fall in love with a bright & spacious interior offering plantation shutters, soothing palette, wood-look tile floor, & modern recessed lighting. The remarkable kitchen features chocolate-stained c...

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Last week the National Association of Realtors announced a settlement agreement in the Sitzer Burnett case that would take effect in July. For those who missed the declarations in the media that this outcome will render transacting real estate almost free, protect consumers, and make homeownership affordable once again, the settlement does none of that.

Budge Huskey
Here’s the truth.

1. The settlement forces brokers to reduce their compensation. False.
The settlement in no way establishes a standard or limitation on Realtors for what they may charge, nor services they elect to deliver. Those fees have always been negotiable and there has never been any collective bargaining. In every market, there is a wide variety of fees, just as there are levels of marketing, service and competence.
2. The settlement will, for the first time, allow sellers to no longer pay compensation for an agent bringing the buyer. False.
There has never been an obligation for a seller to pay buyer agent compensation, yet it is a practice that’s worked well. A past rule requiring an offer of some amount of compensation was a rule of display on a Realtor-owned MLS, yet it could have been as low as $1. That limitation was removed and today the MLS accepts all listings, regardless of buyer agent consideration.
3. The settlement prohibits sellers from paying a commission to a buyer’s agent and relieves sellers of the financial burden. False.
The mandate restricts properties with an offer of buyer agent compensation from displaying on association-owned MLS, yet the practice can’t be restricted in any other form of marketing. Sellers may still elect to pay buyer agent compensation to differentiate their properties. While sellers can elect not to pay buyer agent compensation, that doesn’t mean they will avoid the economics as buyers may write into any offer a contingency requiring the seller to cover the cost or request other concessions.
4. The settlement will serve to meaningfully lower prices and make homeownership affordable again. False.
Values in real estate are determined by supply and demand. Fees in a real estate transaction represent additional expenses, yet these include not only commissions but many other related charges. Should real estate commissions be reduced by 1% because of compression, that $500,000 home will now cost $495,000. Not only is the potential impact marginal at best, but do you think the seller now believes the home is worth less and will happily give the difference to the buyer? The reason home ownership is increasingly less affordable is that homes in our market have significantly risen in value these last few years.
5. The settlement is a win for buyers who will now be able to negotiate the fee for representation. Questionable.
For readers who have purchased homes, it is more than likely you were happy to have the seller compensate your agent so you didn’t have to. For buyers who had to provide the down payment and closing expenses, having the commission paid by the seller and incorporated in the home price allowed them to finance the amount over time instead of coming up with additional cash at closing.

6. The settlement will result in significant restitution to consumers who were “harmed” over recent years in their transactions by Realtors. False.
The settlement is huge, yet when one divides the amount by the number of potentially qualifying consumers it works out to about $10 per person. Those benefiting are the attorneys who have submitted a request to the court for over $80 million in fees.

As a real estate professional for over 40 years, I have had the privilege of working with Realtors who represent the public in what is likely their largest investment. What I have witnessed are the countless situations where an agent has gone above and beyond to help buyers realize their dreams and sellers maximize their returns, often serving in ways far beyond their job description.
Everyone would like to see costs lowered yet I do not see the Department of Justice going after attorneys or other professions we wish would charge less. I always believed in the concept of free enterprise. If one is willing to assume the risk of running a business, one may do so at rates that allow a reasonable return for the capital investment and time. As my dad would say during his 60-year career, you wake up every day unemployed and have to find a job. Then you spend out of pocket and don’t make a cent unless you achieve someone else’s goals.

The brokerage community has always adapted to best represent buyers and sellers whenever there is a shift in the environment. And we will again. Yet when an industry I love is singled out and the justification is for false reasons, I will not be quiet.

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Thanks to all the veterans for your service and protection. Thanks to my son Bobby for his part!

Home of the free because of the brave. To our men and women in uniform, past, present, and future, thank you.