Jim Porter&#s home in Eldorado Hills, CA was on the market for weeks. It was basically dead in the water. Absolutely no calls and no interest, he says. However, after a consultation with a Feng Shui practitioner, Porter received four offers within 24 hours. The Feng Shui of a home can be as important as a great neighborhood or a top-notch school district, says Porter.

In a sluggish real estate market, some sellers are using the ancient art of Feng Shui to put up the sold sign and get the moving trucks rolling. It can be exasperating trying to sell a home when a parade of buyers just shake their head and claim the house does not feel right to them. Feng Shui helps to explain this phenomenon.

Literally meaning wind and water, Feng Shui (pronounced fung shway) is the Chinese art of design and placement. This ancient discipline is based on the belief that vital life energy, or Chi, flows everywhere - in nature, buildings, and in people. If Chi is unrestricted in one&#s environment, it will promote a healthier, more successful life. However, if Chi is blocked, it can cause stress.

Feng Shui practitioner Marina Lighthouse (www.lighthousefengshui.com), who helped Porter sell his home, says that the most important Feng Shui tip that she recommends to her clients is to focus on the front of their house. Realtors call it curb appeal. Feng Shui consultants call it &#your face to the world&#, she says. You should make it as welcoming as possible.

According to the art of Feng Shui, many factors can impede the flow of energy. Conversely, adjustments can be made to unblock or facilitate that flow. It&#s impossible to change the architecture of a building to open up the free-flowing of energy, Lighthouse says, However, a transcendental cure can take the form of an object that wards off or reflects bad Chi. Wind chimes, the soothing sound of water, mirrors, crystals, green plants, and fresh flowers are some of the adjustments used by experts to facilitate the flow of energy through an environment.

Lighthouse points to Las Vegas as an example of how people have improved the Feng Shui of a natural environment, thus making it more attractive to tourists as well as home-buyers. The inclusion of elements such as water, light, tall buildings, mirrors, and movement, she says, has made Las Vegas one of the fastest growing cities in the nation.

For more information on the subject of this release, please contact Marina Lighthouse or visit www.lighthousefengshui.com, www.fengshuishopper.com, or www.radiofengshui.com.

Marina Lighthouse is a certified Feng Shui consultant, teacher, and expert of the BTB School of Feng Shui. Her clients include Mercedes Benz, Cisco Systems, and Hewlett Packard, and she has been a guest lecturer at the UC Berkeley Architectural Department.

Contact:
Marina Lighthouse
Lighthouse Feng Shui
650-960-0669