JR Hafer Story

Realtor / Writer

Originally named Rickie Carl May at his birth in 1946. JR Hafer, born in the small hamlet of Haw River near Burlington North Carolina, on Thanksgiving day, by the way. When his unwed mother could not support him he was put into a Charlotte orphanage home. Rickie was loaned out to several “foster homes” over the years, but always ended up back in Alexander’s orphanage Home. Rickie was certified as unadoptable by the state social workers due to his discipline problems steming from abuse and abandonment issues. However he was eventually adopted on his seventh birthday by a prominate industrialist from Hickory North Carolina, which was a small town of a mere 24,000, just 40 miles north west of Charlotte, and a hundred and fifty miles west of his birthplace. 

Renamed John Richard Hafer by his new Mother and Father upon adoption, Ricky and his new sister became wonderful close friends. However, when Ricky attended Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia and then summer camp in the summer time, they eventually grew apart.  

The moniker “JR” was pinned on Mr. Hafer by a man who stole his beloved sister away and became his brother in law. 

In 1963 while attending the US Navy “Boot Camp” in San Diego Hafer was tapped to serve in the United States Intelligence community. He went directly to go to crypto school and then to Clark Air Force Base in the Philippine Islands for survival training. Mr. Hafer spent eighteen months in Laos, Cambodia and Thailand and returned after update and BDA (Bomb Damage Assessment) training in Pensacola Florida.    

In 1978 JR first got his California real estate license, where he was senior executive vice president of S&J management Inc., Ranchio Mirage, Ca. a development and real estate firm. He personally sold many homes in LaQuinta, a subdivision which is now an incorporated city itself near Indio, Ca.. 

He has been a Florida licensed residential appraiser and now works as a full-time Realtor® in Lakeland and has been with Plantation Realty for over six years.

Hafer is a professional, full time and top producing Realtor® who has been a member of the “Million Dollar Club” every year since 2003. He is also a professional published writer, and has written several books including a self published book called A Buyer’s and Seller’s Guidebook. He hopes to make it available to all buyers and sellers who need guidance in real estate. JR also writes a regular column on the current trends of the local real estate market. He has gained the confidence and respect of many real estate investors by helping them properly read current market indicators. 

Lakeland Florida Real Estate is a unique real estate market. Understanding the market is essential to all real estate transactions. JR Hafer says “it is vital to listen to the heartbeat of the market, If you will listen, it will tell you what is happening”. One should continue to stay abreast of changes in the local marketing area.

The pursuit of an ethical practice of Real Estate, over the years, has given JR Hafer the reputation of a leader in the industry.

 Plantation Realty

The Staff of Realtors   

Plantation Realty is located at 5620 US Hwy 98 North, Lakeland Florida 33809