Just east of Lake Wales, on Highway #60, is a white roadside building with the single word “HONEY” written in five-foot high letters just under the roofline. This is the heart of Florida’s famous citrus groves and the very thought of sweet orange blossom honey draws the motorist into the gravel parking area. The door is open. No shopkeeper is in sight. Inside the small anti-room are jars of clear filtered raw honey neatly arranged on whitewashed shelves. One-pound jars are marked $5.00 and two-pound jars are marked $9.00.
It’s the honor system: The customer is directed to pay for the goods by placing the proper amount of cash, or a check, in a small slot on the top of a very heavy box, secured to the floor in the middle of the room. The customer is further directed to sign a register on the right side of the room indicating the goods taken, the amount paid and (optional) their hometown. A quick glance at the preceding names reveals the customers heading east from the Tampa area to home towns such as Fort Lauderdale, Delray Beach, Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Pompano Beach… and a sprinkling of visitors from afar such as: Bangor, Maine; New York City; Marietta, Georgia, and… Brussels, Belgium?
“What a sweet deal!” I think to myself as I fish through my wallet for the proper change for the two-pound jar. Can I come up with a five and four ones? No… So I throw a ten-dollar bill in the box. “What a sweet deal for the proprietor!” I think to myself as I return to the car. “He or She just made an extra dollar! I bet that happens more often than not!” A sweet win/win deal!
And so it is with real estate as we face the end of the year. As a specialist in introducing buyers to new residential construction, I am bombarded with ads of year-end promotions from real estate developers who have unsold inventory on their hands. They want to see my buyer prospects right through the holiday period and are ready to make concessions for a quick closing. Similarly, individual sellers, with a single home that has not sold, just might be willing to concede a few points to close that end-of-the-year transaction. Now, that could be another “Sweet Deal” and a win/win for all.
Connie
Constance Talcott Smith, PA
Specialist in New Residential Construction and Coastal Properties
Lang Realty
Delray Beach, FL
561-866-1642
