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Selling Your Home Using the Miraculous

By Myrl Jeffcoat

Real Estate Agent

May 17, 2008 01:15 AM

It isn't uncommon to hear about the long unsold house, which may have had offers fall through, but finally manages to make its way into escrow, and become sold. Still other properties, which by all logic ought to be on the market for an extended period of time, sell quite rapidly.

One real estate professional spoke of a little house she listed on a very busy street. The house didn't show well, it needed updating, and was also in need of a roof. And the property wasn't attractively priced for a quick sale. Yet, within a few days, the little house had a good offer, went to pending, and quickly closed.

The seller confided to the agent, that he had buried a statue of St. Joseph in the yard, near the For Sale sign.

Some choose to bury St. Joseph upside down.

Real estate professionals will often hear about these stories, be part of them, or may even buy these statues themselves, believing that divine intervention may help facilitate a sale.

Those claiming miraculous results from the use of St. Joseph statues, also report that it seems to work even with seller or agents are of other faiths.

The Catholic saint has long been believed to help with home-related matters. And according to lore now spreading on the Internet and among desperate home-sellers. One agent, reports she keeps a St. Joseph statue in her work station, and says, "St. Joseph is also the patron saint of "falling" escrows." In other words, prayer and St. Joseph can help "heal" a troubled sale or escrow, when things just don't seem to be going right in the transaction.

Catholic clergy aren't sure how St. Joseph would feel about his replica ending up on its head in the dirt, and suggest displaying it somewhere in the house instead.

"I think it's much more respectful than burying the poor guy," says Msgr. Andrew Connell, the archdiocesan director of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith in Boston.

Some retailers, such as Mr. Weigang, owner of http://www.catholicstore.com also encourage buyers to put the statues in the house.

There is a little industry, which has sprung up selling these little St. Joseph home seller kits.

Another source is: "Underground Real Estate Agent Kits" at 1-888-BURY-JOE.

If you have a miraculous St. Joseph story, we'd love to hear it.

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Heather the Realtor Orlando, Lake Mary

LemonTree Realty - Orlando, FL

First Time Home Buyers, Bank Owned Homes

I have heard this story many times and have never been one to believe things like that, but I Have this one house that had a deal fall apart on it and no movement we cant reduce the price anymore and I want to sell it for this young lady. I may suggest trying this.

May 17, 2008 01:21 AM

Pam Joffe

Solaris Realty - Tampa, FL

Morning - I am not sure if burying a statue would help but in this market I would recommend trying anything.

May 17, 2008 01:35 AM

Michael Shankman

Award Realty - Las Vegas, NV

Selling Las Vegas 702-498-3383

Good post..they just got lucky..as they say, there is a house for everyone-can't judge a book by its cover...

May 17, 2008 01:38 AM

Sharon Paxson

Sharon Paxson, Realtor® EQTY Forbes Global Properties - Newport Beach, CA

Newport Beach Real Estate

I know some people who recently have done just that . . . I will keep you posted.

May 17, 2008 01:43 AM

Phil Cates

StJosephStatue.com - Modesto, CA

Myrl,

Thank you for your post. I'm the CEO of www.StJosephStatue.com, and after 17 years of selling St. Joe I have learned that we don't know what we don't know. Maybe Michael is right, perhaps it is about luck. He should know, he's from the luckiest place on the plant, Vegas, and as they say, ‘I would rather be lucky than good any day'. If you interviewed gamblers, both the lucky and unlucky ones, I think we would be surprised by the diversified responses as to why they won or lost. I say; if Joe instills luck in sellers, buy a truck load of those lucky ducks. My personal beliefs about St. Joseph are as follows:

StJosephStatue.com's Vision Is a World...

...where hope and optimism is imparted to those seeking promise in an otherwise gloomy real estate market, regardless of religious affiliation

For those, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, practicing the ancient tradition of calling on St. Joseph to sell their home...StJosephStatue.com will respect and honor their beliefs and encourage them to continue their faith.

For those who are spiritual yet unfamiliar with the St. Joseph tradition, but are still in need of help to sell their home...StJosephStatue.com will encourage them to consider how the act of burying a St. Joseph statue can invoke the energy of positive thought. Often times, the strength and intensity of the human sprit can move mountains. Our thoughts create our future.

For those interested in using St. Joseph to sell property but aren't necessarily equating it to religion, spirituality or the benefits of positive thinking...StJosephStatue.com will show them how St. Joseph could be instrumental in home sales when combined with marketing strategies.

I hope you have a prosperous week.

Phil Cates

888 BURY JOE

May 19, 2008 05:16 AM

Anonymous

Myrl Jeffcoat

Phil - Thanks for your input. You are so right, "We do not know, what we do not know!" I had originally refrained from giving my own personal experiences regarding the use of St. Joseph in my sales experience, but will say that I have never had a listing where St. Joseph's was used, that didn't sell, and sometimes in either an uncanny or unexpectedly rapid manner.

And as Michael has written, perhaps it's luck. I recently read a book titled, "The Secret." It's about the law of attraction, and being able to attract positive energy and events to us. It references some of the greater spiritual minds of the universe, which speak about this. I found it a very interesting read.

I also have a funny story surrounding St. Joseph. I had a house listed on a large cul-de-sac lot. The seller buried Joe out in the landscape of the beautifully lush back yard. The house sold quickly, and immediately following close of escrow, the seller tried to dig up Joe, to take to his new home. The seller couldn't find Joe, and nearly tore up all the landscape looking for him.

The bad news - Joe was never found. . .The good news - The buyer didn't need to til the soil to plant his vegetable garden.

I also have one of those little cards with St. Jude on it. Of course Catholics know St. Jude to be the Patron Saint of hopeless cases. . .I have also found him to be the Patron Saint of Falling Escrows. I have had escrows that seemed nearly impossible to close, to actually close almost miraculously at the last minute. The little St. Jude card use to be clipped to the inside of my escrow book in the early years of my career. It now sits on the upper bank of keys on my computer keyboard, while it leans angainst the monitor!

He's a little more yellow now, afterall, I've used this same card for over two decades, but it's laminated, and not much worse for the wear and tear:-)

Myrl Jeffcoat
http://www.myrljeffcoat.com

May 19, 2008 07:25 AM

Phil Cates

StJosephStatue.com - Modesto, CA

Hello Myrl,

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, poor ole St. Joe is often times thought of as a taboo subject with many people. I think the mystery of the unknown or the intangible frightens us. But worse yet, if we allow ourselves to consider other possibilities we run the risk of being labeled a nut job by our peers or clients. And, we don't want to make that mistake, it might cost us money. I believe calling on St. Joseph in our business world is a combination of light touch and heavy hope so not to project a radical image.

What I have found to be true is when a seller decides to bury a plastic statue in their front yard in broad daylight; they are committed to sell that home. The act of an agent and seller jointly subscribing to a 500 year old tradition brings a mystic quality to the relationship, allowing the parties to consider God only knows what, but thinking outside the box can flourish.

As far as I'm concerned, the power of St. Joseph lies in one or all of these four categories:

#1 Divine intervention, which humans can't explain

#2 Psychological influences

#3 Science (quantum physics) "The Secret"

#4 A darn good marketing tool

Pick a winner folks, there are plenty of great reasons why everybody should give Joe a shot...it's only ten bucks, through in bottle of wine and you've got a reason to have a party.

If you haven't already done so, please join our pro-believers club and get discounts and free home listings on our site. StJosephStatue.com is the #1 most visited St. Joseph statue website in the world and on average 100 listings are marked SOLD monthly.

FYI, I'm a mortgage banker of 22 years and created the world's first St. Joseph home selling kit in 1990, St. Joseph: "The Underground Real Estate Agent" ^TM Kit.

I look forward to chatting again.

Phil Cates
Founder
StJosephStatue.com, LLC
1216 H Street, Suite B
Modesto, CA 95354
888 BURY JOE
phil@StJosephStatue.com
www.StJosephStatue.com

"My Personal Life Vision Is a World...

...where truthfulness and transparency are reflections of one's individual spirituality;

...of people openly and warmly engaging with all persons, allowing insight and wisdom to thrive within all".

May 19, 2008 09:59 AM