With the slow down in the real estate market even my Jewish home sellers have discovered St. Joseph. A statue of The Holy Family’s foster father buried in the yard of home being sold, buried upside down should bring a buyer, or so goes the folklore. Several web sites on the Internet offer a kit that outlines the correct procedure and includes your own St. Joseph.

The Catholic church does not formally recognize the practice. But Joseph was a carpenter and thus a builder of homes and he contributed to one very important family’s home. Remember to complete the good luck cycle when you sell. Dig up the statue and place it in a featured location in your new home. St. Joseph can’t cure all home selling problems, for a more realistic perspective on getting a home sold here are some quick tips.

-Pricing. If your home has been on more than 30 days and has had at least twenty showings, the real estate agent rule of thumb says over-priced. In an evolving real estate market take a long hard look at sold comparable properties from only the last six months.

-No or low showings. Is it easy for home buyers to see your property? Your home won’t sell if no one can get in. Make sure your home and your agent are available to show it when the majority of buyers are out looking. Once you get them in, make sure its presentable.

-Presentation is key. Clean sells. Take the time every day to pick up clutter and clean, be pro-active for possible showings. Pets can be annoying and distracting to home buyers, take them off-site for showings.

-Don’t forget broker open houses. Many home sellers focus on public open houses to attract buyers, while missing the point that real estate agents represent almost ninety of those buyers. Have your agent host a brokers open house with light food and refreshments to attract agents on a week day.

-Have a virtual tour. Over three-quarters of home buyers start their home search on the Internet today. Require your agent to have a virtual tour and at least six still photos on real estate web sites.

Mark Nash’s fourth real estate book, “1001 Tips for Buying and Selling a Home” (2005), and working as a real estate broker in Chicago are the foundation for his consumer-centric real estate perspective which has been featured on ABC-TV, Associated Press,CBS The Early Show, Bloomberg TV, Bottom Line Magazine.CNN-TV, Chicago Sun Times & Tribune, Fidelity Investor’s Weekly, MarketWatch, HGTVpro.com, MSNBC.com, Smart Money Magazine,The New York Times, Realty Times, Universal Press Syndicate and USA Today.