When the Going Gets Tough, Go Get St. Joseph

When all else seems to be failing, some weary home sellers look for heavenly intervention.

In the last six months, 273 people have purchased statues of St. Joseph, the patron saint of family and home, from three stores run by the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors. That's up from 92 sold during the same months last year.

The tradition of burying St. Joseph's statue in the yard to sell your house more quickly has been around for a long time. Some say it dates to an order of European religious sisters in the Middle Ages who sought help in getting land for a convent. Others say it started in the late 1800s with a Montreal order of religious brothers who wanted a new chapel.

Stephen J. Binz's 2003 book, "St. Joseph, My Real Estate Agent," fanned new interest. Binz says he was a doubter until he buried a statue and a week later was able to sell his house, which hadn't moved in seven months.

One company is marketing his book with a statue and prayer card for only $7.50. Others charge $6.99 to $9 for the statue and prayer kits on various Web sites.

Margaret Ireland, chairman of the Northern Virginia Realtors' group, said: "I've been 23 years in this business, and I've always heard that advice. You bury St. Joseph for good luck. Does it work? I don't know."

-- Sandra Fleishman