In California, if you make improvements to your home you are forced into a reassessment and higher taxes. Many homes in California are not maintained and updated for this very reason, since the taxes are set from when the home was purchased.
Is there not U.S. states where both the buyer and seller pay commission fees? A quick search provided this:
The seller’s agent collects a listing fee for marketing and selling the home.
The buyer’s agent collects the buyer’s agent fee for bringing a qualified buyer to purchase the home.
In my understanding there is costs borne by both the buyer and seller for the services of a real estate agent.
I have never truly known a period of time without a smart device. The last watch I had was when I was a small child and it was only a few years ago I found a street "atlas". I have a feeling that I've missed a building block of the digital age by not experiencing an evolutionary phase.
https://www.sccassessor.org/faq/understanding-proposition-13