It may not be listed in any real estate advice book, but here's a hot tip on how to sell a property real fast. Bury a statue of St. Joseph in your yard. Homeowners do some wacky things in order to sell their houses. So do real estate agents. It's not uncommon for sellers and Realtors to beg for miracles when trying to unload a hard-to-sell property. Saying a few fervent prayers is common, but burying a saint?

Now stop snickering. The practice is not as unusual as you might think, nor as sacrilegious. Best of all, there appears to be some real virtue in the earthy custom since it has actually worked in many cases. St. Joseph, revered by Roman Catholics as the foster father of Jesus and patron saint of families, is considered the protector of households. According to religious authorities, the custom is centuries old. It seems nuns in medieval Europe often buried medals of Saint Joseph in hopes of acquiring property for their convents. Over the years, statues of the saint began to replace the medals. Today, you can purchase a 2 inch plastic statue of St. Joseph for around $1.50.

"People come in regularly to buy these statues," reports Pauline, a salesperson, at the Canticle religious store in Cape Coral, Florida. "Some customers come in more than once to buy additional statues. They tell me St. Joseph worked for them before, now they're going to use him to sell their next house," she says. Pauline estimates she sells about 10 statues a week at the small shop.

An informal survey reveals that the custom of burying a statue of St. Joseph is extolled by sellers and Realtors from California to Florida. Occasionally, a parish priest might pass on the legend to a member of his congregation. Clients tell their real estate agents about it. And occasionally Realtors sometimes recommend the practice to a desperate seller. Although some Realtors that I've contacted, say they've never heard of the practice, it's conceivable they might not wish to admit they rely on heavenly powers rather than their own marketing expertise to sell houses. Afterall, it's not exactly a professional sales technique that you'd expect to see in a real estate marketing brochure. If all it took was entombing a plastic likeness of a saint to sell houses, real estate people would be out hawking statues instead of properties.

OK...let's say you're ready to attempt this groundbreaking opportunity to sell your house. By the way, you don't have to be Catholic to try this. As in any burial rite, there are special rituals to follow. Actually, there are several different interment methods. All of them seem to elicit about the same amount of success. Some homeowners place the statue in a plastic bag and bury it in the front of their house facing the street. Others plant the saintly figure in the back yard, upside down, facing the house. Still others, who believe in covering all odds, bury one statue upright in the back yard and plant another statue in the front. (Most logical spot is next to the For Sale Sign.) One final important point to remember: after the house sells, be sure to unearth the statue and display it in a place of prominence in your next home. This is to demonstrate your gratitude to St. Joseph.

To scoffing non-believers, I can personally testify that the saint does work in mysterious ways. I know two different families who were having a difficult time selling their homes. I suggested they try burying St. Joseph. They both thought I was ready for the looney bin, but out of desperation, they complied. I watched as they dug little holes in their front yards and gently placed the saintly statue wrapped in plastic, in the dirt. One homeowner received an offer the very next day. The other owner sold his house about three weeks later. I have also tried the practice with two of my own personal residences. One house sold in just a few weeks. My last house sold in one hour. Could it be saintly powers or my own expert marketing skills? Heaven only knows.