Having trouble getting your home sold? Home prices are down from the good old days of 2007. The economy in Hawaii and elsewhere continues to languish. Financial uncertainty has become a way of life for many people. Buyers are picky, and properties seem to stay on the market forever.

But have you really done everything in your power to sell? Perhaps it is time call upon a Higher Power. No matter what your religious faith or none at all, you might want to consider ramping it up a notch – way up to the heavens. That's where St. Joseph comes in. Home sellers have been calling upon the saint for generations, and the results are intriguing.  After all, over two million statues are sold each year.

Praying for a Sale
Stories of St Joseph interceding for home sellers have been around as long as people have wanted heavenly help with their homes. During the recent real estate boom, homes were selling faster than you could say “St. Joe”, but now that prices and sales are slowing down, it is time to revisit this practice. Maybe you have tried everything else and are ready for a miracle, even if you would not normally ask for help from a saint.

Patron Saint of Home Sellers
St. Joseph was the carpenter father of Jesus so he is logically the patron saint of home sellers and home seekers. He and his wife-to-be Mary wandered in their search for a place to lay their heads while she was heavy with her divine child. They ended up in a stable with the humblest of roofs over their heads for the holy birth.

Origin of the Legend
So why bury a statue of the holy guy? Some say that the statue-burying tradition began when an order of medieval European nuns were seeking help to find a convent site.  They buried a likeness of St. Joseph and asked for his help to locate the right property.  Others believe that the nun was Teresa of Avila and a medal of the saint, not a statue was buried. Or the origin may have come from the saint’s connection to German carpenters who had the custom of imbedding a statue of the saint in the foundation of each home they built.

Another story relates an incident in Montreal where a monk wanted to build a chapel on a particular piece of land, which the landowners refused to sell.  He surrounded the land with buried statues of St. Joseph, and the landowner promptly and mysteriously changed his mind and sold the land to them.

In Roman Catholic communities the practice of calling upon St. Joseph is of course more common, but many people of other faiths do give honor to saints. Many people believe that with or without a statue, a house will sell if it is the will of God, assisted by prayers of the faithful. Is the statue merely a symbol of divine will, or does it somehow gather the forces of heaven to bring the right buyer?

Faith vs. Luck?
Realtors have been following the practice of burying the statue for years, but when I started in the business in 1986 I was quite startled to hear of the popularity of this custom. Then the market started to slide around 1991, and I decided it was worth a try.  I discussed the idea with a very motivated (desperate?) seller, and brought a statue and shovel to the front yard of a home I had been working hard to sell for about 7 months. The instructions with the statue stipulated that he be placed upside down in a hole dug in the front yard of the property. About a week later, we received an offer.  The sale closed in about 6 weeks later. The seller was convinced that St. Joseph was the source of the sale.

Then in 2009 I listed a ”Short Sale” home for a devout family who were leaving the island in a few days, and were anxious to get an offer. Although the home was priced about 8% above what I thought was reasonable, we received a full price offer and a back-up offer in less than a week!  I did not find out until later that the homeowners had planted St. Joseph in one of the potted palms.

How It Works
Techniques for calling upon the saint’s help vary. Some sources require that the statue be buried right side up pointing towards the house, and others insist on a backyard internment hear the rear property line, or near the For Sale sign, facing the house, or the heavens, or towards the street. A prayer may be said over the spot, or holy water sprinkled around the property lines. In any case, the ritual should be be performed respectfully and with an open mind.

Not A Joke
If you think this is a big joke, you might want to click on, http://www.stjosephstatue.com/ for online testimonials. On Oahu, a selection of St. Joseph statues are readily available for purchase at the Cathedral Gift Shop at Ala Moana Center.  You can even pick up a “Home Sale Kit” featuring the saint with information and instructions. Most real estate supply companies offer various St. Joseph options complete with instructions. Evem Amazon.com has various kits to choose from. The latest addition is the biodegradable "Eco Joe", appealing to the green crowd.

For those who have ever felt that a favorite cherished object held special power, perhaps a piece of jewelry, a photo or other memento, this is not so different. Is it the object itself that brought you comfort and confidence, or something completely outside yourself? You may never know. Professional athletes, surgeons, public speakers, and students facing exams at times all rely on a higher power to instill the confidence of success.

When Things Go Wrong
Strange things can happen to those who do not follow the right protocol.  While unverified, these stories will make you think twice before you just stick him in the flower bed. One family faced the statue away from their home, and the house across the street sold, even though it wasn’t on the market.  Another home seller became impatient and moved the statue from the front yard to the back yard hoping for results, but still nothing happened. Exasperated, he dug up the statue and tossed it into the trash can.  The headline several days later reported the results: “Local Dump Has Been Sold”!

Selling Basics
If you are a seller who is still waiting for the right offer, you might want to seriously consider whether St. Joe can help. But don’t expect him to work alone. Your sales plan should include an excellent conventional marketing effort, an attractive and well-priced property, and an experienced real estate professional.

 Remember that “God helps those who help themselves”, and that would seem to apply to his "staff" such as St. Joseph. At least you will know that you have left no stone unturned in your selling efforts.

If you or someone you know has an experience with selling a home with St. Joseph, I would love to add your story to my collection, just email me at stephanieg@remax.net.

 Copyright 2010 Stephanie Gieseler, Honolulu, Hawaii.  All Rights Reserved