People often ask: "What color should I paint my house to help it sell faster?" It's true. The exterior color of your house can play an important factor in determining not only how quickly your home will sell but how much you'll get for it. Research and studies have proven that colors influence human behavior. Some colors have a calming effect, while other shades can actually provoke hostility. Why do you think the President of the United States resides in a White House and not a lavender one? If the White House was in Miami would it be seashell pink? Every season designers invent dreamy new names to promote old standby colors. They mix and match tinges and tones, pigments and paints to come up with the latest in hot new decorating hues.

In addition to the exterior of the house, fashionably correct color schemes include the interior of your home from carpeting and walls to cabinets, countertops and refrigerators. Remember those avocado green appliances of the sixties? Brace yourselves. Some interior designers and builders tell us that avocado green is reemerging. Only this time in a slightly different variation called "sage". At least they didn't decide to call it "guacamole green." Who makes up these names anyway? Decorators foresee vivid jewel tones as the rage this year. Rich shades of emerald green, ruby red and turquoise blue may overpower the popular tropical pastels like seafoam green, peach and soft pink. Norma Lyons and her husband, Bobby, build upscale Arthur Rutenberg homes, known for their luxury and style throughout Florida. Norma observes that peach and fuscia are already on the out and seafoam green is losing favor with her customers. She predicts that "Eggplant" purple will be hot this year.

Generally speaking, there are certain colors and shades that appeal to most buyers and may actually sway them into choosing your home over another. On the other hand, some colors completely turn off buyers. So if you are going to put your house up for sale but plan to do some redecorating, recarpeting or repainting first, follow these basic color rules and you'll never be blue.

WHITE IS ALWAYS RIGHT...White gives a fresh, crisp, sparkling clean look to any home, inside and out. Some people think white is boring. But think of white as your canvas. You can add touches of bright color without overpowering the total effect. For the home's exterior, use contrasting pastel shades on trim, shutters or front door.

BLUE WILL NEVER DO...If you're in a hurry to sell, don't do blue. The flashing blue light may be a hit at discount stores but it makes buyers cringe. A blue house turns buyers off almost as fast as a blue velvet Elvis painting. Studies show that buyers do not react positively to blue carpeting, blue walls or blue exterior paint. It's a too judgmental color. People either hate it or love it. Most hate it. You'll be singing the blues if you choose blue hues.

GREEN SHOULD NOT BE SEEN...Avoid painting the outside of your house kelly green, lime green, neon green or any variation of this green theme. Green looks great out in the pastureland but it tends to create a sickening effect on the front of your house. Cows love green. People usually don't. One exception may be a shade of "hunter" green...a deep, dark green that lends a rich and elegant effect to large interiors and a warm, cozy feeling to smaller areas.

NAY ON GRAY...Gray reminds buyers of funeral homes or prisons. Remember a few years back when maroon and gray were a popular decorating duo? Everything from wastebaskets to toothbrushes came in these two colors. I once worked for a company that was newly headquartered in a large, fancy building that had all gray walls, gray carpeting and deep maroon desks in every office. The outside was painted in designer battleship gray. At first appearance, the decor looked sophisticated and contemporary. Yet employees were constantly getting sick and there always seemed to be an underlying feeling of uneasiness and unrest among the staff. The company went out of business one year after moving into their new building. Coincidence or consequence? You be the judge. Not long ago, an attractive, new, two story, Florida colonial went on the market. The house was on a beautiful waterfront location and had all the goodies. The outside was painted gray. It sat on the market for months with no offers. Then one day, the sellers painted it a lovely shade of "Bahama pink". The house sold the next week.

BEIGE IS NOT THE RAGE...When I moved to Florida about 17 years ago, nearly every home in our coastal area was painted sandy beige with dark brown shingle roofing. It was soooo boring and still is today. Although the natural look is in vogue, don't confuse natural with lifeless beige. A beige house and even worse, a beige house with beige carpeting throughout, denotes personality challenged owners and screams, "Get a life!"

TEAL CAN APPEAL...Some buyers find certain shades of teal, a medium to dark greenish blue color, appealing. It's bright, trendy, funky and kind of a fun color. A teal front door or eye- catching teal shutters or trim can add pizzazz to a home's basic white exterior. If you're thinking of installing teal carpeting throughout your home, don't. Like cheesecake, teal should come in small slivers.

PASTEL WILL SELL...Today, especially in tropical areas like Florida, pastel is a winner. Sellers can get away with painting the outside of their homes in light, breezy shades of peach, conch pink and possibly even a very pale sea green. Whereas, if they tried this in Fargo, North Dakota, buyers might see red. Cool, balmy pastel colors invite buyers inside. Pastels make a persuasive psychological sales pitch that lures buyers, especially snowbirds. Pastel colors sing: "This is Florida. Your tropical dream home. You've waited all your life for this. Live here and love it." Two words of caution with pastels: Avoid Lavender. Lavender is not lucky. I remember when I was growing up in a suburb of Chicago. Our neighbors painted their house a shocking shade of lavender. One day their house accidentally burned to the ground. Coincidence or consequence? You be the judge. When the owners rebuilt, they painted their new house white.