We're in Escrow

St. Joseph did his job! When we were getting our home ready to put on the market, someone told me about the tradition of burying a statue of St. Joseph upside down in the front yard and reciting a specific prayer for a speedy and easy home sale. I work very close to the Mission San Juan Capistrano, home of the famous swallows that come back every year (although only one or two seem to remember that tradition the past couple of years - most are flying to a local strip mall). I knew there had to be a Catholic store nearby. My associate, Patty, our graphic designer, is a delightful devout Catholic and she told me she knew where there was a store and she would even go with me to find St. Joseph. We drove to the store during a lunch hour. When we went inside, the woman at the cash register asked if she could help and I told her I was looking for a statue of St. Joseph. She took me to the back of the store and showed me some beautiful carved wooden and ceramic statues, each of which was in the $50 price range. "I'm looking for something a bit less expensive," I told her. "Oh, you want to bury it!" she said, adding "Come this way," as she walked back toward the front. There in a big basket were dozens of little plastic statues for $1.50 each. I bought one, plus a book about how St. Joe was going to help us sell our home.

That night, Gary and I said the prayer and buried the little guy in our front yard near the porch, facing out to the street, per the instructions. We also planted an aloe succulent in the same area because someone at Silverado's San Juan Capistrano community told me it was good luck. Gary and I were committed (and still are) to doing everything - from St. Joe to Feng Shui to Aloe - whatever it might take to get the house sold.

Bingo! Within a week we had two offers - good ones, too. We are set to close escrow on December 5th. Our buyers will let us rent the house back till the end of January, so we have some time to look for a rental home in South Orange County. I know it helped to have the right realtor (wonderful Bob Coluccio), the right pricing and Gary's handiwork in doing the "staging," but I'm now a big fan of St. Joseph. Tomorrow I'm taking another associate-friend over to the Mission so she can get some help from St. Joseph too. Her house has been on the market over three weeks with very few showings and not a single bite. I just know St. Joe will turn that around.