Some homeowners who find it difficult to sell their Lakeland, Florida home resort to divine intervention. Real Estate folklore has it that your home will sell faster and on better terms by burying a St Joseph’s Statue in your home’s front yard. To guarantee a positive outcome, many sellers will also devote a prayer to St. Joseph or even a Novena.
St. Joseph, the biblical husband to St. Mary and earthly father to Jesus, is considered to be the patron saint of couples, families, carpenters and working people. Others consider that his patronage extends to real estate as well.
Learn how to sell a house with a St. Joseph statue below. At the end of the blog we include sample prayers, novenas and a helpful tip in case St. Joseph does not answer your prayers.
History behind selling a house with a St. Joseph statue
The practice of petitioning St. Joseph for spiritual support regarding real estate, dates back to European nuns in the middle ages. The prevailing story is that a sect of Carmelite nuns wanted to expand their land for a new convent. After asking St. Joseph through prayer to intercede on their behalf and burying medals of his image, their prayers were answered.
According to Snopes.com in the United States the custom of burying a statue of St. Joseph in order to facilitate the sale of one’s home dates back to 1979 but took hold in the early 1990s.
Since then the practice has become so common that religious stores, big box retailers such as Lowe’s and websites like Amazon sell St. Joseph’s Home Sales Kits. In fact, over a million home sales kits are sold each year. The kits normally contain a plastic statue of St. Joseph, a prayer card, petition to St. Joseph and an introduction to the home sale practice.
There is an eco friendly kit which includes an Eco Joe-St. Joseph’s statue made of 100% eco friendly material that won’t harm the environment should you forget to unbury it. And for those especially hard to sell homes there is even the Miraculous Double Novena St. Joseph/St. Jude House Selling Kit, which includes a novena for St. Joseph, the patron saint of real estate and St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes.
How to bury a St. Joseph’s Statue?
How a St. Joseph statue is buried is not as important as the genuine faith, trust and gratitude towards St. Joseph. Nonetheless, some homeowners who swear by the practice insist:
∙ The statue should be covered in a clean cloth or placed in a plastic bag to protect it from the elements
∙ Bury the statue headfirst/upside down in the front yard near the for sale sign
∙ 12 inches from the ground facing the street
∙ Once the home is sold the statue should be removed
∙ The statue should be displayed in a place of honor in the new home as a sign of gratitude and respect
Look at the How to Sell a House with a St. Joseph Statue [Infographic] below. Included are 5 important recommendations as well as a sample prayer request to St. Joseph for assistance in selling your home.
Testimonials
Amazingly, a search on the internet revealed many testimonials on the miraculous outcomes of St. Joseph’s intercessions.
We have had our house for sale for almost 2 years. I decided to purchase this statue on the advice of my mom who has been a real estate broker for 38 years in another state. On the day he arrived, we had 2 showings. […] We received an offer on our home on 2/28/16 and have accepted it. My husband and I were both raised Catholic and prayed daily for St. Joseph and our agent to bring us the perfect buyer. It happened! We are beyond thrilled and will put St. Joseph in a prominent place in our new home. Best of luck to all that are selling their homes! (Mrs. Wright, 2/2016)
Saint Joseph works! We were having troubles selling our house and showings were few and far between. I was skeptical but decided to try anyway. What could it hurt? From the day I placed the order showings picked up. Got Saint Joseph in the mail the next day and buried him in the front yard upside down next to the for sale sign. We said the prayer and hoped for the best. […] We were under contract within the week. When we closed in the house and left, we dug him up and brought him with us to the new house where he has a nice spot on the entertainment center where he watches over the family. (Diane S.,9/2015)
We tried to sell our home about 3 years back and it wasn’t selling, wasn’t selling, wasn’t selling. After 2 months we heard about burying a statue of St. Joseph, so we did and within the week it sold. (faith1characterhope)
What to do if your prayers are not answered
If you’ve buried St. Joseph, prayed for a sale and cannot find a buyer consider selling your Lakeland house to Lakeland Home Buyers .
Sell your Lakeland Area house in just one day and close in as fast as 7 days. With Lakeland Home Buyers you eliminate the need to hire an agent, pay a hefty real estate commission and put up with the uncertainty of finding a buyer.
And, since we’re cash home buyers we eliminate the need for lengthy home inspections, appraisals, mortgage approvals and even closing costs, making the entire sales process smooth and worry free.
Furthermore, we’ll buy your house as-is, no matter its condition or your personal circumstance. If you are going through a divorce, lost job, illness, debt or job transfer you can count on us.
Call Lakeland Home Buyers today at 863-372-8937 to get a top- dollar cash offer today. Count on us to understand your needs, provide solutions to your problems and deliver exceptional service.
St. Joseph’s prayer
Prayer to Sell a House
O, Saint Joseph, you who taught our Lord the carpenter’s trade, and saw to it that he was always properly housed, hear my earnest plea. I want you to help me now as you helped your foster-child Jesus, and as you have helped many others in the matter of housing. I wish to sell this [house/property] quickly, easily, and profitably and I implore you to grant my wish by bringing me a good buyer, one who is eager, compliant, and honest, and by letting nothing impede the rapid conclusion of the sale.
Dear Saint Joseph, I know you would do this for me out of the goodness of your heart and in your own good time, but my need is very great now and so I must make you hurry on my behalf. Saint Joseph, I am going to place you in a difficult position with your head in darkness and you will suffer as our Lord suffered, until this [house/property] is sold. Then, Saint Joseph, I swear before the cross and God Almighty, that I will redeem you and you will receive my gratitude and a place of honor in my home. Amen. (Source:maryshelper.com)
St. Joseph novena
To demonstrate a greater degree of faith and conviction you could dedicate a novena. A novena is a set of prayers recited over 9 consecutive days. Below is a sample of novena published by praywithme.com.
Day 1: Oh God, guide of those who listen and helper of those who hear your voice, speak to me, as you did to St. Joseph, and help me accomplish the things you give me to do.
Day 2: O God, you love your people and bless the ordinary lives we quietly live. As you blessed St. Joseph, bless what I do, however, hidden and simple it may be, and let all I do be done with love.
Day 3: O God, ever faithful, you remember us always and in time reveal your blessings. Help me trust in you, as St. Joseph faithfully trusted, and never let me lose faith in the wonderful gifts you promise me.
Day 4: God of families, bless the family that’s mine. Keep us safe from harm, and never let evil come between us. Let peace remain in our hearts.
Day 5: O God, who loves children, be kind to our children today. Give them eyes of faith for seeing far, a loving heart for welcoming life, and a place always at your side.
Day 6: God of our heavenly home, bless our home on earth. Let the spirit of Mary and Joseph rest at our table, shape our words and actions, and bring blessing to our children.
Day 7: God, our Father, give your fatherly spirit to those who are fathers now. Like Joseph, give them hearts of devoted love for their wives and children and strength for forgiveness and patience.
Day 8: Give shelter, O God, to those who need it, and bring together families divided. Give us enough to eat, and decent work to earn our bread. Care for us, O God.
Day 9: Bless all families, O Lord especially those in need. Remembering the life of your Son, we pray for the poor, for those who lack a good home, for those in exile. Grant them a protector like Joseph, O God.