Legit question. Planting, picking and selling are all costs of doing business. Unless "picking and selling" refers to sales revenue which is not my interpretation either.
> AGENTS REPRESENT THE SELLER. They do NOT have your interests in mind.
Absolutely not true. Buyer's Agents represent the BUYER and have a legal obligation to act in the best interest of the Buyer.
> They don't have to mention this unless you ask directly.
Again, you are mistaken. The Seller and the Seller's Agent are required by law to disclose any known material latent defects in writing...or risk litigation after closing.
The reason I got my real estate license was to bypass the outrageous fees and my lack of trust of Realtors. But in doing so, I've come to realize that Realtors do bring a certain level of ethics to an industry which is extremely prone all types of shenanigans. I imagine without Realtors there would be a lot more litigation since the public is largely unaware of laws regarding disclosures, discrimination, kickbacks, etc.
A year of Blue Apron elevated my cooking game from zero to quite good actually. Now that I've learned some technique, I prefer buying groceries instead of getting the ridiculous single serve vinegar/ketchup/mayo bottles and not-quite-as-fresh protein they send you.