Can St. Joseph Really Help to Sell Homes?
Over my last two decades as a REALTOR®, I’ve had a few people tell me about St. Joseph and that he can help to sell homes. Legend says that if a statue of the Saint is buried on the property, that it will help to increase the chance of getting the home sold. I have to say that I never paid much attention to it but that’s about to change.
The other day, I was chatting with a Seller about marketing strategies and tongue-in-cheek, told her about the St. Joseph rumours. Her response was, “Hey, everything is worth a try!” Well much to my surprise, she followed through and went out today and bought a St. Joseph Sellers Kit for $11.95 that came complete with a little plastic statue, instructions and a prayer card. The kit says that St. Joseph is the worker patron saint of carpenters and that his power to intercede on your behalf is truly remarkable.
A search on Google using the keywords, St. Joseph Sell Homes brings up almost two million pages like this one and this one and this one. It would seem that St. Joseph is a very busy fellow indeed! The shop keeper where the statue was purchased today said it is one of their top selling items and that they have a hard time keeping it in stock. According to one article I read, St. Joseph medals work too and, condo dwellers can just bury them in a flower pot. Some say that the key is devotion and daily prayers while others say you don’t even have to be a believer.
I don’t know what to think but now we’ll have a real live test case. Check back for updates and if this works, I’m going kit shopping!
I noticed your on the Canadian RE Alliance on the TOREAL blog as he just added me. I added you to my site, could you please link me back as “Sarnia Real Estate” Thanks!
st joseph – please sell my house in north carolina so I can stay here in NC
with my granddaughter who has down syndrome-thank you
There were several homes in our neighborhood and we decided to try the St. Joseph kit. We had several lookers and a few offers and our home was the first to sell in our neighborhood. We were aware that the statue needed to be dug up but when we tried a couple times we were unable to find it.
The planting of St. Joseph or any other act of faith has the potential to create a positive outcome. I am a firm believer that what you put out will come back to you. We all live off the premise of hope and faith, and that what we do each day will some how, beyond our control, produce that in which we expect. In Real Estate you have to have tons of positive energy to attract positive outcomes…especially in this market.
Yes it is true about this legend, I have told neighbors for the past years trying to sale their house and I have told them about st Joseph, well the thanks has never stop
This tradition of burying St. Joseph to try to sell your house has gone on for years and has worked. Every member of my family who has sold a house has done this and been successful, from sisters and brothers, to Aunts and Uncles and cousins. I am a firm believer in it and we will do it when we sell our house.
God Bless!
Worked for me. After 9 months on the market and very few showings, Joesph was planted by our front door. We had five showings that week and sold the home. I’m a believer.
My house was for sale in a depressed economy in Nortwest Colorado. After being on the market for three winter months (a hard time to sell) I used a pick ax to chip away snow and ice and placed St Joseph on his head. That night the house was shown and the offer was made the next day. Faith can move mountains!!!!
My fiance and I buried St. Joseph in our yard in Michigan and it’s been over a year with no one to make an offer.. I know the housing market is hurting pretty bad there, but we really did believe it would help.. I suppose we still believe it will, but I wish it wasn’t taking so long.. It’s a nice thought.
I forgot to mention that the same statue we buried was used for another house that sold right away.. It was dug up and then we used it. I wonder if its power is still at its fullest. hmmm..
yOU CAN BURY YOUR HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE BUT IT ISN’T GONNA SELL YOUR HOME ANY FASTER EITHER
I kidded my practicing Catholic wife when she bought our St. Joseph. She had heard many success stories so she picked it up in our church store as soon as we listed our home. Whether St. Joe was working his tail off or on vacation I don’t know because it took 10 months to sell our house, but in this market, that’s not bad. It’s still the only house in our area to turn in a long time. In any case, I think it takes a little faith and a lot of hard work to improve your property, make it available to show, and price it where it will sell. In our excitement, we forgot to dig up the little rascal. I hope that doesn’t jinx us the next time! I’d be too embarrassed to ask the new owners for permission to retrieve it. Maybe a midnight “grave robbery” is in order.
We listed our house in february 2007, had lots of interest but no offers. In september of 2007 we buried st joseph and within the next two weeks we had a lowball offer we refused and the sought after acceptable offer! we are closing november 8th 2007.
Just pray….
I was very skeptible about this whole idea, but a friend said, “It certainly wouldn’t hurt.” So I tried it – buried St. Joseph upside down, 3 feet from the door. I got an offer and sold in 4 days. I dug him up and took him along to the next house. He had a revered place on the fireplace mantle.
I tried it again 5 years later – this time, I got an offer in 5 days and sold 2 days later. He is still with me – on the bookcase until I need his help again.
What can I say?
I bought one and my home still sat on the market and finally after the first person who put in a bid after 10 months and lowering the price $30,000 we sold it. It did work, if you want to sweat it out for 10 months. I do have him in a place of prominence in our home, just in case.
I do believe that St. Joseph is an excellent intecessory saint to pray for the sale of a home. However, this should not be brought to the level of “Catholic Voo-Doo”. It is not the fact that the statute is buried upside down, or buried at all on the property, (I find that disrespectful to the image of St. Joseph) that brings favorable results. . . that is more akin to “magic”. However, displaying a small statute of St. Joseph (I prefer him holding the Baby Jesus, since it is actually GOD that answers prayers) in the home, like under the “For Sale” sign, and praying to St. Joseph with sincere faith and devotion definitely can “work a miracle”. It is not so much the statute but the prayers and the display of Faith in the home that I feel brings results. We did this when my mother put her home on the market and from the time she signed the listing agreement to the date the buyer signed the contract was only 19 days. It was approximately 40 days to the closing date. This was in May, 2007. She got the asking price, cash buyer and the buyer was the very first person that viewed the home. It also helps to price the property reasonably and have a good real estate agent. After all, even the Saints and God need our cooperation in the mysteries of Faith.