Astrology, Feng Shui, Magic Spells... and Selling Homes

By: Carol Freyer
Submitted: 2008-10-07 18:08:24
Print this article | Tell a friend | For publisher | Social Bookmarking
Rating:
 

As someone in the real estate industry, I'm always eager to find out more about buying and selling strategies. However, I'm not sure what to think about using astrology to sell a home. Or Feng Shui. Or magic spells. There are a lot of people more than happy to take your money in exchange for your magic number, star alignment, or real estate amulet, though.

Astrology has been used to divine the future since before the Common Era. Many people today view it as a harmless amusement. Move.com even has a section for "homestrology" profiles. Realty Times did an article entitled, "Look to the Stars for Decorating Advice", featuring astrologer John Marchesella, who claims that knowing your Sun Sign can help you choose colors for your home.

In some cases, astrology becomes serious business, spawning websites like realestateastrology.com that sells subscriptions for astrology questions, natal charts, and business outlooks. These cost between $25 to $50 a month. Some astrologers promise results if you buy a personal profile from them, ranging from 19.95 to hundreds of dollars. One website promised that my problems selling a home stemmed from not having my home in proper alignment with the stars. For only 39.95, I could get a astrological profile that would improve my real estate transactions. Some Realtors even claim that they use astrology to sell homes.

Magic spells aren't just for Mickey Mouse in "Fantasia" any more. Some people believe that they can help you sell your house. One spell requires allspice, myrrh and benzoin. If Eastern magic appeals to you more, there's a site that sells Chinese Prosperity Oil at the bargain price of 39.95. Apparently you can anoint the doorstep with it or burn it for a pleasing 'buy-me' scent.

Another route is to bury a statue of St. Joseph somewhere in the lawn. St. Joseph, one-time husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is also the patron saint of real estate sales. One site selling St. Joseph statues intimates that you can sell your house faster if you buy the bigger statue size. One wonders why it is necessary to deep-six an effigy of a saint in order for him to take notice of your house selling woes, but there is no explanation forthcoming from history aside from anecdotes.

Feng shui is a Chinese practice rooted in ancient times. Basically, the idea is arranging objects in one's life to attract positive energy. However, feng shui also attracts money from people who believe that this practice can help them sell homes. 19.95 buys one information about their element at one website. One feng shui consultant who works in real estate charges $150. An hour. On the plus side, feng shui does encourage people to pay attention to their color scheme and the placement of furniture in the home.

The principles of feng shui may actually work in real estate simply because they encourage people to arrange their house in an uncluttered fashion, with an eye for pleasing colors. Magic spells and astrology, though... are these people genuine, or are they simply taking peoples' money? The truth is that the efficacy of such things has never been proven. It's one thing to look at your horoscope for fun; another to hand someone hundreds or thousands of dollars, only to be told that your house didn't sell because the stars weren't aligned properly.

In the end, I would urge you to put your faith in a Realtor, whose 'magic' you can rely on.

PorchLight Real Estate Group combines local market knowledge with cutting edge marketing skills. For more information on Denver CO real estate or to do a search for Hilltop real estate, visit us online at PorchLightGroup.com.

Article source: Expert Articles

Most Recent Articles in Real Estate category

  • Attention Realtors: Time to Spice up Your Open Houses! - By: Andy Asbury
    Every weekend, buyers head to a slew of open houses, but rarely do they ever make an offer on the properties they see at these events. To enhance the success of the open houses you host, you need to make your properties more memorable in the minds of visitors. To do this, you need to get creative and spice up your open houses.
  • Charitable Realtors: Ideas to Improve Karma and Help Those in Need - By: Andy Asbury
    For many of us in the real estate industry, this past year has been a difficult one, with stagnating housing markets and economic ups and downs. You've likely had to overcome many challenges this year, and are feeling grateful for having either survived or thrived in an otherwise gloomy climate. If you're like me, you're not only thankful for your success, but you're now wondering how you can help those in need in your community.
  • Rent Try Buy - Rent Try Buy Helps First Time Buyers - By: Paul Sharp
    Rent try buy is a scheme that can help people with lower credit score to own their dream home. Also rent try buy helps first home buyer to save for the down payment. This Article provides an overview of rent try buy scheme.
  • Mentor and Coach Are Critical To A Real Estate Investor's Success! - By: Michael Shuster
    Consider the most successful people you know. Whether you are thinking of a famous business executive, your boss, a relative, or anybody who you believe has achieved their own goals or dreams, and if they are successful I GUARANTEE you that they did not get there alone.
  • How to Increase Traffic at Your Next Open House - By: Jerry Clifford
    First, try switching up the hours of your open house. Morning open houses catch people before they head to work or begin running their errands, while late afternoon or early evening events make it easy for busy people to stop by at the end of their day, when other open houses have already closed down.
  • The Definition of Owner Financing-Owner financing in a nutshell - By: Paul Sharp
    Owner financing is a way that can help buyers who are not eligibility to apply loans. This article will give you an overview about owner financing.
  • $1 Million Real Estate Credit Program to Create Millionaire Real Estate Investors - By: Brett Schoneman
    Companies Incorporated has created a unique program that turns everyday people into millionaire real estate investors. Companies Incorporated puts into place the strongest resources to maintain a 100% customer satisfaction rate.
  • How to Win Sales and Influence Clients - By: Ted Guarnero
    Every Realtor wants to have a sure line on how to immediately "connect" with a client. It doesn't exist. What does, however, are strategies whereby you can gain a greater desire on the part of your client to help you and garner positive recommendations. One might think that the client is the leader in this relationship, but this is not so. They are hiring you because of your expertise. You must lead them to what they want or as close as possible to it. Dale Carnegie, in his best-selling book, "How to Win Friends and Influence People", illustrated principles that have been effective leadership tools for years. You can use these principles to positively encourage
  • How Realtors Can Benefit from a Stagnant Housing Market - By: Jerry Clifford
    In addition to getting new certificates, now is also the perfect time to get to know areas of real estate that you're not very familiar with. For example, if you haven't worked much with short sales, or REO properties, this is a great time to bone up on the legalities and requirements involved.
  • Finish Your Cedar Trim To Last! - By: Justin Lee
    Nothing beats the warmth, character and durability of cedar trim on the outside of a home. However, many shy away from using it because it has a reputation of being a high maintenance product. Like anything, it's important to understand the nature of the product you are finishing to get the best results from your paint or stain. Doing so will give you many years of lasting, low-maintenance wood siding.