7 Crazy Superstitions Filipino Buyers Declare when Choosing a Home

As a Realtor, I've come across strange & legitimate reasons why buyers do not buy certain homes in their quest for the elusive 'dream home.' Buyers who have opted for a different home than what was shown have revealed that they were in search of a home in a specific school district or a home with an extra bathroom or a home with a main level bedroom to meet their personal needs. All are valid reasons to keep searching. However, I've found that amongst the Filipino buyers I've come across, they've tended to offer the oddest superstitions as an explanation to why they chose not to buy a home.

Filipino Reason #1 not to buy a home: The staircase leads out the front door.
95% of the time, when Filipino buyers are greeted with a descending staircase at the front door, they will automatically lose all interest in the home. A descending staircase that leads to the front door is a sure sign of future failing finances. It's presence indicates that all money entering the household will surely flow out because of the direct pathway of the stairs to the front door.

Filipino Reason #2 not to buy a home:The sellers are divorcing.
Filipino buyers find it very important to know the marital state of the previous owners of a home that they will potentially be living in. Should they discover that the homeowners are selling the home because of a divorce, their tendency is to turn away and direct their house hunting elsewhere. They feel that they may be endangering their own marriages if they purchase a home that was sold because of a divorce.

Filipino Reason #3 not to buy a home:The back door can be seen as you enter the front door.
If Filipino Buyers notice that the back door is parallel with the front door while entering the home, then they will not likely want to place an offer on that home. It is their belief that all good fortune experienced while residing in that home will be short lived because of the direct relationship of the front & back door. Good fortune will go in (the front door), and quickly come out (of the back door).

Filipino Reason #4 not to buy a home:The address numbers end in a downward stroke.
An address with the last number ending in the number 1, 4, 7, or 9 indicates that the house will bring bad luck to the occupants. The downward stroke when the number is written causes all good luck to decline.

Filipino Reason #5 not to buy a home:The house is located on a T-intersection.
A house that sits on a street where another street is directly perpendicular to it will cause Filipino buyers to cringe. The orientation of the perpendicular street brings in excessive energy towards the home that can disrupt the good fortune from being able to settle inside the home.

Filipino Reason #6 not to buy a home:The house does not face East.
A home facing east symbolizes a household that is in harmony with the natural flow of the world. Find a home that faces east for Filipino Buyers and they will credit you with exceptional skill as a Realtor. Because of the scarcity of this type of home, some Filipino Buyers may disregard the orientation of the house if all other features meet their guidelines.

Filipino Reason #7 not to buy a home:The number of steps on the staircase is the wrong number of steps.
For the extreme Filipino Buyers, counting steps that lead from the outside towards the front door is a significant home qualifier. They will walk on each step and recite "gold, silver, debt." The numerical value is not the deciding factor but whether or not the last step lands on "gold" or "silver" or "debt" during the chant. If the last step to the front door results in "debt," then the house is definitely not a contender on their desired home list.

In all fairness, not all Filipino Buyers adhere to these crazy superstitions, however, being aware of what they are may help a Realtor adjust their search criteria to find that perfect home for the superstitious Filipino.