How to Win a Negotiation without Going Postal

I remember the time I had a few minutes to spare between showing appointments. I asked my buyer if he would like a cup of coffee. He said yes. So I drove over to Sandy's Cafe at the corner of White at Virginia Streets in Key West. I had been at Sandy's at about the same time the day before. The guy behind the counter who waited on me then was helping another customer. A new guy behind the counter asked me what I wanted.

I said "One small cafe con leche with two sugars and a decaf." He asked "Sugar?" and I said sugar in the con leche but not the decaf. He walks to the coffee machines and starts the laborious process of freshly brewing coffee just for me. He bangs the machine, cleans something, adds coffee, turns on the machine, grabs the machine and fiercely jerks it. He removes the small coffee brewer and pours hot coffee into a small white Styrofoam cup. He then added the milk and sugar and then put on a ilid. He placed the cup in front of me. He looked at me whereupon I asked where the decaf was. He said "We only have decaf for con leche decaf." I replied I did not want the decaf con leche, only the decaf. He removed the coffee can from the shelf over the coffee machines as if to prove to me that he did indeed have decaf coffee. But then he said they do not sell decaf coffee, only decaf con leche.

Since I ordered exactly the same thing the day before with no trouble at all, I was perplexed by my inability to get it a day later. I did not lose my cool. Instead, I remembered how Jack Nicholson dealt with a similar situation many years ago in the movie Five Easy Pieces.  Jack Nicholson's character (Dupea) was in a diner and tried to order plain wheat toast which wass not on the menu but which could easily be made.

Dupea:  I'd like a plain omelet, no potatoes, tomatoes instead, a cup of coffee, and wheat toast.

Waitress:  No substitutions.

Dupea:  What do you mean? You don't have any tomatoes?

Waitress:  Only what's on the menu. You can have a number two - a plain omelette. It comes with cottage fries and rolls.

Dupea:  Yeah, I know what it comes with. But it's not what I want.

Waitress:  Well, I'll come back when you make up your mind.

Dupea:  Wait a minute. I have made up my mind. I'd like a plain omelet, no potatoes on the plate, a cup of coffee, and a side order of wheat toast.

Waitress:  I'm sorry, we don't have any side orders of toast...an English muffin or a coffee roll.

Dupea:  What do you mean you don't make side orders of toast? You make sandwiches, don't you?

Waitress:  Would you like to talk to the manager?

Dupea:  ...You've got bread and a toaster of some kind?

Waitress:  I don't make the rules.

Dupea:  OK, I'll make it as easy for you as I can. I'd like an omelet, plain, and a chicken salad sandwich on wheat toast, no mayonnaise, no butter, no lettuce. And a cup of coffee.

Waitress:  A number two, chicken sal san, hold the butter, the lettuce and the mayonnaise. And a cup of coffee. Anything else?

Dupea:  Yeah. Now all you have to do is hold the chicken, bring me the toast, give me a check for the chicken salad sandwich, and you haven't broken any rules.

Waitress:  You want me to hold the chicken, huh?

Dupea:  I want you to hold it between your knees.

Waitress:  Do you see that sign, sir? Yes, you'll all have to leave. I'm not taking any more of your smartness and sarcasm.

Dupea:  You see this sign? [He sweeps all the water glasses and menus off the table]

I got the decaf without the con leche.  And I didn't have to postal.

920 Pohalski Lane - Short Sale - Key West - Back on the Market

920 Pohalski Lane in 1965

920 Pohalski Lane with new addition as seen in 2011

Side view of 920 Pohalski Lane

Attention Bargain Hunters: The award winning Key West cottage at 920 Pohalski Lane was just reactivated as a short sale at the new asking price of $399,000 or $420 per sq ft. This is a bargain, Dear Readers. The Historic Florida Keys Foundation awarded this home its Award for Excellence. The listing Realtor describes the cottage thus:

"Beautiful historic home with unique floor plan. French doors open from the living room and kitchen to a wonderful private deck with spa/jacuzzi. Upstairs master suite. Home is fully fenced for privacy. Porch in the front and off street parking. This home received an Award for Excellence for the highest ideals and concepts of historic preservation by The Historic Florida Keys Foundation. Steps away from all that living in Key West has to offer."

It's worth looking at!

This is a cottage home with 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 950 sq ft of living space that sits on a 35' x 55' (1925 sq ft) lot. CLICK MAP for a Google aerial view and then click for a street view. The aerial will show you that this place is located near Truman Avenue. The street view will show you it is opposite the Truman & White Chevron Station. So that will probably eliminate 95% of people looking for a nice and affordable Key West cottage. My advice: get over it. There are many really nice small cottages on this little one-way lane that runs north just off Truman Ave. to Olivia Street. Most of the other houses or cottages on this block are darling little places that would cost a lot more if they were located on one of the swank lanes such as Curry Lane or Carey Lane. They aren't and as a result they are priced much lower when it is time to sell. Superior locations cost more money. Cute and convenient can cost less.

The Coffee Mill is located next door to 920 Pohalski Lane

I wrote about the charming little place across the lane at 909 Pohalski when it was listed in December . It went under contract in a couple of days of being listed. I represented the buyer that purchaser that grabbed that little gem.

Another Key West blogger who pens his Key West Diary wrote about Pohalski Lane. CLICK HERE to read his take on this little lane.

As for me, I think being able to walk over to the Citgo gas station to buy the best friend chicken in Key West (seriously!), or to walk a bit further to Sandy's to get a con leche, or maybe walk up Truman a couple of blocks to workout at the Old Town Gym, or walk 20 feet to do yoga at the Coffee Mill (located next door), is the essence of living in Key West. I'll bet people from New York have their pet places that they measure by how close the places they use constantly are located from where they live. Key West isn't big in the first place. But having places you really use weekly, if not daily, that are located with a block or two of where you live makes living in a specific neighborhood more enjoyable. CLICK HERE to checkout the Key West mls datasheet on this property. Or you can CLICK HERE to view more photos that I took.

If you would like to see 920 Pohalski Lane, please contact me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. If you snooze on this short sale, you lose.

...hold the chicken...

I was showing property the other day and had a few minutes to kill between appointments. I asked my buyer if he would like a cup of coffee. Yes, he replied. So I drove over to Sandy's Cafe at the corner of White at Virginia. I had been at the same place at about the same time the day before. The guy behind the counter who waited on me then was helping another customer. A new guy looks at me and asked me what I wanted.

I said "One small cafe con leche with two sugars and a decaf." He asks "Sugar?" and I said sugar in the con leche but not the decaf. He walks to the coffee machines and starts the laborious process of freshly brewing coffee just for me. He bangs, cleans, adds coffee, turns on the machine, grabs the machine and fiercely jerks it. He removes the small coffee brewer and pours the hot coffee into a small white Styrofoam cup. He added the milk and sugar then put on the top. He placed the cup in front of me. Beat. Then I asked where the decaf was. He said "We only have decaf for con leche decaf." I replied I did not want the decaf con leche, only the decaf. He removed the coffee can from the shelf over the coffee machines as if to prove to me that he did indeed have decaf coffee. But then he said they do not sell decaf coffee, only decaf con leche.

Since I ordered the exact same thing the day before with no trouble at all, I was perplexed by my inability to get the same thing a day later. But I did not lose my cool. Instead, I remembered Jack Nicholson in a similar situation many years ago. I was attending law school when I saw the movie Five Easy Pieces. I was the legal staff assistant to Judge Frank Jamison and Diane Primavera was his Division Clerk (secretary) at that time. Diane asked me "Gary, have you seen Five Easy Pieces?" I said "I've never seen one easy piece."

In the movie Five Easy Pieces Jack Nicholson's character (Dupea) is in a diner and wants to order plain wheat toast which is not on the menu but which is easily made. Dupea had an easy way of getting to win:

Dupea: I'd like a plain omelet, no potatoes, tomatoes instead, a cup of coffee, and wheat toast.

Waitress: No substitutions.

Dupea: What do you mean? You don't have any tomatoes?

Waitress: Only what's on the menu. You can have a number two - a plain omelette. It comes with cottage fries and rolls.

Dupea: Yeah, I know what it comes with. But it's not what I want.

Waitress: Well, I'll come back when you make up your mind.

Dupea: Wait a minute. I have made up my mind. I'd like a plain omelet, no potatoes on the plate, a cup of coffee, and a side order of wheat toast.

Waitress: I'm sorry, we don't have any side orders of toast...an English muffin or a coffee roll.

Dupea: What do you mean you don't make side orders of toast? You make sandwiches, don't you?

Waitress: Would you like to talk to the manager?

Dupea: ...You've got bread and a toaster of some kind?

Waitress: I don't make the rules.

Dupea: OK, I'll make it as easy for you as I can. I'd like an omelet, plain, and a chicken salad sandwich on wheat toast, no mayonnaise, no butter, no lettuce. And a cup of coffee.

Waitress: A number two, chicken sal san, hold the butter, the lettuce and the mayonnaise. And a cup of coffee. Anything else?

Dupea: Yeah. Now all you have to do is hold the chicken, bring me the toast, give me a check for the chicken salad sandwich, and you haven't broken any rules.

Waitress: You want me to hold the chicken, huh?

Dupea: I want you to hold it between your knees.

Waitress: Do you see that sign, sir? Yes, you'll all have to leave. I'm not taking any more of your smartness and sarcasm.

Dupea: You see this sign? [He sweeps all the water glasses and menus off the table]

The guy at Sandy's finally gave in and brewed a full cup of decaf with no con leche or sugar. I must have been there five to seven minutes. We barely made our next appointment on time. But we had a great laugh on the way. And I still haven't seen one easy piece. Nothing is easy.